DictionaryAI

meow

mee-OW/miˈaʊ̯/

Noun pluralmeows

Verbmeows, meowing, meowed

UK spellingmiaow

6 meanings of meow

Practice

  1. 1
    interjection
    Spoken or written to represent the cry of a cat.

    "Meow," he teased, mimicking the tabby winding around his ankles.

    In the picture book, the speech bubble over the kitten just says "Meow!"

    UsageAlso spelled miaow; mew is a related word for a softer cry.

    Similarmew, miaow

  2. 2
    nouncountable
    The characteristic cry that a cat makes.

    A plaintive meow at the door meant the cat wanted to come inside.

    She could recognize her kitten's meows from across the apartment.

    Similarmew, miaow

    Note

    Bob Dylan sets a cat's meow beside a cow's moo in his 1967 song "Quinn the Eskimo."

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • Bob Dylan wrote Quinn the Eskimo, whose lyrics pair a cat's meow with a cow's moo. bobdylan.com
    • The song dates from 1967: Dylan wrote and first recorded it then. Its first release followed in 1968. en.wikipedia.org
  3. 3
    cry (cats)verbintransitive
    Of a cat, to produce its characteristic cry.

    The hungry cat meowed insistently at the empty food bowl.

    House cats meow at humans far more than they do at one another.

    Similarmew, miaow

  4. 4
    catty remarkinterjectioncolloquial
    Spoken in response to a spiteful or catty comment, playfully likening it to a cat.

    "Meow," Jenna shot back when her coworker took a swipe at her outfit.

    Someone in the back went "meow" the moment the catty insult landed.

  5. 5
    flirty growlinterjectioncolloquial
    Uttered in a low, playful tone to convey seductiveness, imitating a growl.

    "Meow," she drawled, draping herself over the armrest of the couch.

    He answered her flirtation with a teasing, growly "meow."

  6. 6
    drugnounslangUKuncountable
    A slang term for mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant drug.

    The dealer was reportedly selling meow to students across the campus.

    She had never tried meow until that summer at university.

    UsageOften doubled: meow meow.

    Similardrone

    Note

    British drug slang, and uncountable: people sell or take meow, never a meow, and that keeps it apart from the cat's cry. It also turns up doubled as meow meow, while drone is a rival nickname for the same drug. Either name belongs to street talk, not to medical or legal language.

    Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of meow apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

An alteration of the earlier word mew, from Middle English mewen, mouwen, of onomatopoeic (sound-imitating) origin, with related forms in Dutch, Low German, and German. Some spellings were modelled on French miaou, and meow became widespread in the 19th century, largely replacing mew, possibly because sound changes had made mew no longer resemble a cat's cry.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 7 facts