# meow

> English word · Interjection · IPA /miˈaʊ/ · frequency rank #19,903

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

## Etymology
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/).
(mephedrone): Perhaps because of the drug's distinctive smell resembling cat urine.

## Easily confused with
- **MO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mo)
- **MW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mw)
- **mom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mom)
- **met** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-met)
- **mob** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mob)
- **mod** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mod)
- **mon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mon)
- **moe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-moe)
- **MoS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mos)
- **mop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mop)
- **mer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mer)
- **moi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-moi)
- **MOR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mor)
- **mol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mol)
- **moo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-moo)
- **mou** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mou)
- **mot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mot)
- **mow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mow)
- **MEP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mep)
- **mes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meow-vs-mes)

## Common misspellings (5)
`emow`, `meoww`, `mewo`, `mmeow`, `moew`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/meow