Learn English – Verb for when cats meow other than meow itself

animalsonomatopoeiasoundsverbs

If

  • a dog barks "woof" (or some other variation)
  • a frog croaks "ribbit"

is there a verb for when cats "meow" other than "meow" itself?

I am specifically looking for a word that is usually only associated with a cat's "meow" similar to how bark is usually only associated with a dog's "woof", so cry as suggested in "Term for “representative” animal sound?" won't work.

Best Answer

Consider mew (it's kind of cheating, I know, but ODO lists it as a verb first, as opposed to the entries listing miaow/meow as a noun first).

mew verb (of a cat or gull) make a characteristic high-pitched crying noise. ‘Her cat mewed at her anxiously and snarled at Cameron, who snarled right back.’ - ODO

Depending on the cat's temper at the time, snarl from the second example above might work instead; or perhaps purr. Big cats such as lions roar, but that sound is nothing like a meow.

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