miaou

Everyday

1. The sound a cat makes. tree →
2. (verb) To make this sound: «The cat miaoued at the door». tree →

In the lessons

In stories and early reading books, «miaou» is a sound word (onomatopoeia) for a cat's cry. It is an older or more French-looking spelling; «miaow» is common in the UK, Ireland, Australia and NZ, and «meow» in the USA and Canada. In French, cats say «miaou» too. Phrases: «miaou!», «miaoued loudly».

Examples

• «Miaou!» said the little cat. tree →
• The cat miaoued at the back door to be let in. tree →
• Our kitten gives a tiny miaou when she is hungry. tree →
• In French books cats say «miaou». tree →
• «Miaou» is a word that sounds like the noise it names. tree →
• The cat's miaous woke me up at five o'clock. tree →
• I heard a sad miaou from the shed. tree →
• Dogs say «woof», cats say «miaou». tree →
• "Miaou!" said Old Tom in answer. tree →

Note

Spellings: miaou, miaow (UK), meow (US) – all mean the same. It is an example of onomatopoeia (a word that copies a sound). Pronounced «mee-OW». Not a maths word.