mew
mew — noun
- mewsingular
- mewsplural
1. the soft, high-pitched crying sound that a cat makes — quieter and gentler than
the soft, high-pitched crying sound that a cat makes — quieter and gentler than a full 'meow', often used for kittens or distressed cats.
A tiny mew came from the box, and Wei found a newborn kitten inside.
noun + 'came from' (sound origin pattern)
The old tabby let out a soft mew as Amara gently stroked her fur.
Javier heard a plaintive mew from the cupboard and opened the door carefully.
Each mew from the hungry kittens made the children rush to check their bowls.
A quiet mew was the only sound the scared cat would make all evening.
文法句型
typically singular
often preceded by 'a' or 'the'
用法筆記
Less common than 'meow'. Typically describes a quieter, gentler sound made by kittens or cats that are anxious, hurt, or very young.
常見錯誤
2. a medium-sized grey-and-white seabird found across northern Europe, Asia, and No
a medium-sized grey-and-white seabird found across northern Europe, Asia, and North America, also called the common gull or mew gull.
The birdwatcher spotted a mew gull among the larger herring gulls.
compound noun: 'mew gull'
A flock of mews rested on the sand near the harbour at low tide.
plural form: mews
Mews build simple nests on cliff ledges along the northern coastline.
The nature guide explained that mews migrate south before winter arrives.
A solitary mew circled above the fishing boat hoping for discarded scraps.
- common gull
the more widely understood name for this bird
- mew gull
the American name for the same species, emphasising its call
- seagull
the everyday term for any gull, though less scientifically precise
文法句型
typically singular or plural
用法筆記
A specialised term used mainly in birdwatching and ornithology. Most English speakers would call this bird a 'seagull' or 'common gull' rather than a 'mew'. Distinguish from noun/1 (CAT SOUND), which shares the same spelling but is a different word entirely.
常見錯誤
mew — verb
- mewpresent simple I / you / we / they
- mews3rd person singular
- mewing-ing form
- mewedpast simple
1. to make a soft, high-pitched crying sound, like a cat — especially used for kitt
to make a soft, high-pitched crying sound, like a cat — especially used for kittens or quiet, anxious, or hungry cats rather than loud demanding ones.
The tiny kitten mewed softly until its mother returned to the nest.
mew + adverb (mewed softly)
Luna mewed at the kitchen door every morning at exactly six o'clock.
The stray cat mewed pitifully outside the restaurant back door in the rain.
Mother cat mewed gently to guide her babies back to their basket.
When the thunder started, the frightened cat mewed and hid under the bed.
文法句型
mew + adverb/prepositional phrase
用法筆記
Intransitive only — you cannot 'mew something' (no object). For a louder cat sound, use 'meow' instead. The past tense is 'mewed', not 'mew'.