pow1
/paʊ
/exclamation
Expressing the sound of a blow or explosion: Pow! Bombs went off on six beaches at once...
- They get these snails over there and they just - pow!
- You roll the egg rolls into the lettuce, add whatever suits your fancy, and dip the whole shebang into a bowl of light, sweet dressing - pow!
- I went into this little shop, made my way to the back, and then she looked up at me and smiled… pow!
Origin
Late 19th century (originally US): imitative.
Rhymes
pow2
/paʊ/noun [mass noun] informal, chiefly Skiing
Short for powder (sense 2 of the noun). skiing through fresh pow in really cold conditions is my favourite time on the mountain...
- You'll need the rest after skiing 2,000 vertical feet of tight trees and pow.
- In the soft and cut-up pow, they skied well, but again were a little squirrelly as the tips and tails got pushed around a bit.
- After a good night's snowfall, you can see dozens of tiny figures trudging up to the snow-peaks, skis on their backs, for that ultimate thrill of untracked 'pow'.
POW3
/piːəʊˈdʌbljuː/abbreviation
Prisoner of war.