Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Variant forms of mew.

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • But in the middle of algebra, Honor, who hated mathematics, managed to give him a surreptitious pinch, with the result that a long-drawn, impatient, objecting "miau" suddenly resounded through the room.

    The New Girl at St. Chad's A Story of School Life Angela Brazil 1907

  • He called, "Puss! puss! puss!" for he would have been quite glad of its company; but there came no friendly "miau" in response.

    Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales Henry Rider Haggard 1890

  • Now when the rat-hawk says "miau" the rats run and hide themselves -- for the rat-hawk doesn't understand what it is saying so it is often without food, for it is a wicked bird!

    Plays: Comrades; Facing Death; Pariah; Easter August Strindberg 1880

  • The moment they hear the "miau" they become convinced of their being vanquished and visualising the action? of the cat's teeth and paws makes them flee.

    Recently Uploaded Slideshows 2009

  • As soon as the weak and sickly cat utters one "miau" the whole multitude of mice become awestruck and one by one they flee to safety.

    Recently Uploaded Slideshows 2009

  • Aprox. 10 seconds after impact I heard his miau and ran downstairs.

    Is there a Feline Pesematologist in the house? 2009

  • For a triphthong to exist, two closed atonic vowels (“i” or “u”) and, between them, an open vowel (“a”, “e”, or “o”): anunciáis, guau, miau, confiéis.

    Triphthongs in Spanish 2009

  • Update: Elias sez, "This is from the DRAE (Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy), where you can see that the sound of the cat in Spanish is not 'miao' but 'miau'."

    Boing Boing: May 14, 2006 - May 20, 2006 Archives 2006

  • "But, Heidi," now put in Clara, "when you see that it makes Fräulein Rottenmeier angry, why do you keep on saying miau?"

    Heidi 2000

  • At midnight he got up to stir the fire, and, as he poked it, there shrieked suddenly in one corner, "Miau, miau! how cold I am!"

    Grimm's Fairy Stories Gebr��der Grimm 1909

Comments

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  • What Italian cats say.

    December 19, 2007

  • Also what Finnish cats say.

    November 9, 2008

  • Cats in Poland say "miau" too...

    April 27, 2009