| 释义 |
miaow, int. and n.|mɪˈaʊ|
Forms: 7 miau, 7–8 meaw, 9– miaw, mieaou, meaow, miauw, miao(u)w, miow, mi-owe, me(e)ow.
[Echoic: the spelling is partly influenced by F. miaou. Cf. mew int. and n.3]
The cry of a cat. Also, the name of this cry. Often used to imply that the person addressed is a ‘cat’ (see cat n.1 2 a).
1634T. Johnson Parey's Chirurg. 151 They..cryed with the Cats miau, miau. 1833Penny Cycl. I. 372/2 The word mew would be more expressively written mieaou. 1840Marryat Poor Jack xxiii, ‘Miaw!’ was the reply. They had heard the loud miaw. 1862H. Kingsley in Macm. Mag. June 112 ‘Pussey, pussey!’ she [Mrs. O'Neil] began, ‘kitty, kitty, kitty! Miaow, miaow!’ (Mr. Malone had accumulated property in the cats' meat business.) 1866M. E. Braddon Trail Serpent iv. v, The feeble miauw of an invalid member of the feline species. 1873Young Englishwoman May 217/2 ‘Meow!’ And an enormous cat came out. 1879E. Garrett Ho. by Works I. 80 He [a cat] rose with a lazy mi-owe. 1937M. Irwin Stranger Prince 321 ‘Congratulations, sweetheart! I did not know you had secured him{ddd}’ ‘Miaow!’ 1947M. Lowry Under Volcano vi. 166 Provocative nocturnal meows. 1948‘E. Crispin’ Love lies Bleeding xii. 134 ‘I sometimes wonder if she has any deep emotions at all.’ ‘Miaouw,’ said Fen gently. Elspeth grinned. ‘All right, I am being catty.’ 1956H. G. de Lisser Cup & Lip vii. 81 ‘What you really mean is that but for the help of the coolie..you couldn't have had Miss Ludford over here.’ ‘Meow, meow,’ laughed Arthur. 1962E. Bradford Touchstone xi. 91 ‘He's always..where the bar is.’ She leaned forward. ‘Miaouw!’ 1965L. Brain It's Free Country xv. 146 ‘P'raps she just likes men,’ said Howard. ‘Men with money,’ said Susan. ‘Miaow!’ 1967‘S. Woods’ And shame Devil 89 ‘He probably has some money of his own. Otherwise, why should she have married him?’ ‘Miaow,’ said Antony.
Hence miaow v. intr., to make or counterfeit the cry of a cat (cf. maw, mew vbs.); miˈaowing vbl. n., the crying of a cat; miˈaowing ppl. a., calling like a cat. Also miˈaower.
1632Sherwood, To meaw, or meawle (as a cat), miauler... A meawing, or meawling, miaulement... A meawer, or meawler, miauleur. Meawing, or meawling, miauleux. 1731Bailey vol. II, Meawing, the crying of a cat. 1825–80Jamieson, To Miauve, to mew as a cat, Buchan. 1894Baring-Gould Kitty Alone III. 167 A stray cat came..and meeowed. 1975J. Symons Three Pipe Problem xvii. 174 It miaowed in faint protest, arched its back. |