a heavy blow or a loud, explosive noise.
the power of exciting.
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
First recorded in 1715–25; variant of poll 1
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Diplomatic sources told AFP that conditions are typically better in POW facilities than regular Ukrainian prisons.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
Earlier this year, a former POW, Pavel Guguyev, 45, was tried for cooperating with a foreign government.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025
Jeff Weiss, editor of POW Magazine: You really have powerhouses coming out of this movement.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025
McCain was suffering from brain cancer and had dealt with a lifetime of health challenges due to his injuries as a POW in the Vietnam War.
From Salon • Nov. 18, 2025
I copy the address into the margin of my notes, and then outline it in zigzags like a comic book POW!
From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
