meow

English

Etymology

Onomatopoeic.

Alternative forms

• meu
• mew
• miaow, miaou (UK spelling)

Pronunciation

• IPA: /miˈaʊ/, SAMPA: /mi"aU/
• Rhymes: -aʊ

Interjection

meow

1. The cry of a cat.
2. Said in reply to a spiteful or catty comment.

Translations

cry of a cat

Arabic: نو نو (ar) (naw naw) Catalan: mèu (ca) m. Chinese: Mandarin: 喵 (cmn) (miāo) Czech: mňau (cs) Danish: mjav (da), miav (da) Dutch: miauw (nl) Esperanto: miaŭ (eo) Estonian: näu (et) Faroese: mjarr (fo), mjavv (fo) Finnish: miau (fi), mau (fi) French: miaou (fr), miaulement (fr) m. German: miau (de) Greek: νιάου (el) (niáou) Icelandic: mjálm (is) n. Indonesian: meong (id) Interlingua: miau (ia) Italian: miao (it) Japanese: ニャー (ja) (nyā)

Korean: 야옹 (ko) (yaong) Lithuanian: miau (lt) Luxembourgish: miau (lb) Malay: ngeong (ms), miau (ms) Norwegian: mjau (no) Persian: میو (fa) (miyu) Polish: miau (pl) Portuguese: miau (pt) Romanian: miau (ro) Russian: мяу (ru) (mjáu) Scottish Gaelic: miamha (gd) Serbian: мјау (sr) (mjau), мњау (sr) (mnjau) Slovene: mjav (sl) Spanish: miau (es), ñau (es) Swedish: mjau (sv) Turkish: miyav (tr) Vietnamese: ngoao (vi) Volapük: miov (vo)

said in reply to a spiteful comment

Noun

meow (plural meows)

1. The cry of a cat.

Derived terms

• cat’s meow
• meowy

Translations

cry of a cat

Arabic: مواء (muwā’) Bulgarian: мяу (bg) Catalan: miol (ca) m. Chinese: 喵 (miāo) Czech: mňoukání n., zamňoukání n. Danish: miav (da), mjav (da), miau (da) Dutch: miauw (nl), gemiauw (nl) n. Estonian: mjäu, näu Faroese: mjarr (fo) Finnish: nau'unta, naukuminen, naukuna (fi) French: miaou (fr) m., nyaw (fr) f. German: Miau n., Gemiaue n., Gemaunze n. Greek: νιαούρισμα (el) (niaoúrisma) n. Indonesian: meong Interlingua: miau Italian: miao (it) Japanese: にゃ (nya), にゃあ (nyā), ニャア (ja) (nyā)

Korean: 야옹 (yaong) Lithuanian: miau (lt) Malay: ngeong (ms), ngiau (ms) Norwegian: mjau (no) Polish: miauczenie (pl) n., miauk (pl) m. Portuguese: miau (pt) Romanian: mieunat (ro) n. Russian: мяукание (ru) (mjaúkanije) n., мяу (ru) Serbian: мјаукање (sr) (mjaukanje) n., мјаук (sr) (mjauk) m. Slovak: mňau (sk) Slovene: mjavkanje n. Spanish: miau (es) m., maullido (es) m. Swedish: mjau (sv) n., jamande (sv) n. Turkish: miyav (tr) Vietnamese: meo meo Volapük: miov

Verb

meow (third-person singular simple present meows, present participle meowing, simple past and past participle meowed)

1. (intransitive) Of a cat, to make its cry.

Synonyms

• mew

Translations

of a cat, to make its cry

Catalan: miolar (ca) Czech: mňoukat (cs) Dutch: miauwen (nl) Esperanto: miaŭi (eo) Estonian: näuguma, kräunuma Faroese: mjarra (fo), mjavma (fo), mjavva (fo), mjóma (fo) Finnish: naukua (fi) French: miauler (fr) German: miauen (de), maunzen (de) Greek: νιαουρίζω (el) (niaourízo) Ido: miaular Interlingua: miaular Italian: miagolare (it) Japanese: にゃあと鳴く (にゃあとなく, nyā to naku)

Korean: 야옹하다 (ko) (yaong-hada) Lithuanian: miauksėti Norwegian: mjaue (no) Polish: miauczeć Portuguese: miar (pt) Romanian: mieuna Russian: мяукать (mjaúkat’) Serbian: мјаукати (sr) (mjaukati), мјаукнути (sr) (mjauknuti) Slovene: mjavkati Spanish: maullar (es) Swedish: jama (sv) Turkish: miyavlamak (tr) Volapük: miovön