meow

Meaning

Intj

1. Used to indicate the cry of a cat.
2. (colloquial) Used in reply to a spiteful or catty comment.
3. (colloquial) Used to express seductiveness, mimicking a growl.

Noun

1. (countable) The cry of a cat.
2. (UK, slang, uncountable) The drug mephedrone.

Verb

Of a cat, to make its cry.

Synonyms

mew

miaow

miaow

mewing

miaou

miaul

meou

meowing

bugle

roar

bleat

bray

laugh

😆

cry

😢

Translations

miaou

miao

miau

miauw

miyav

miau

miauler

miau

νιάου

maullido

νιαούρισμα

maullar

miauen

mèu

Pronounced as (IPA)

/miˈaʊ̯/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: mewen

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: mauje

Cognate with Western Frisian: miaukje

Cognate with Dutch: miauwen

Cognate with Middle Low German: mauwen

Cognate with Middle High German: mouen

Cognate with German: miauen

In summary

Alteration of earlier mew, from Middle English mewen, mouwen (“to mew, meow”), of onomatopoeic origin.
Compare Saterland Frisian mauje, miauje (“to meow”), West Frisian miaukje (“to meow”), Dutch miauwen (“to meow”), Middle Low German mauwen, mawen, mouwen (“to meow”) (whence modern German Low German mauen, miauen (“to meow”)), Middle High German mouen, modern German miauen (“to meow”). Some spellings were modelled on French miaou.
Meow and its spelling variants entered widespread currency in the 19th century, mostly replacing mew, possibly because phonetic change meant that word had ceased to approximate a cat's cry (contrast the pronunciation of Middle English mewen /ˈmɛu̯ən/ compared to modern /ˈmjuː/).