Miaouing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of producing the sound typically associated with a cat
2. A representation of the vocalization made by felines to communicate
3. An expression often used informally to describe the characteristic meowing sound of a cat

Etymology: "Miaouing" is the present participle and gerund of "miaou", which is an inflected form, so its history is the history of the verb it comes from. "Miaou" is the imitative spelling of a cat's cry, a word built to echo the sound itself rather than descended from an older root. Its English spelling keeps the French-style "ou" ending, reflecting the French "miaou" that English adopted for the same sound. The "-ing" ending simply turns the verb into the act of making that cry.

Synonyms: meowing, mewing, yowling