bow-wow

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See also: bowwow and bow wow

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Onomatopoeic.

Pronunciation

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  • Audio (US):(file)

Interjection

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bow-wow

  1. Representing the sound of a dog barking.
    • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 5, column 1:
      Harke, harke, bowgh wawgh: the watch-Dogges barke, bowgh-wawgh.
    • 1593, Gabriel Harvey, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse, London: […] Iohn Wolfe, →OCLC; republished as John Payne Collier, editor, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. A Preparative to Certaine Larger Discourses, Intituled Nashes S. Fame (Miscellaneous Tracts. Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I; no. 8), [London: [s.n.], 1870], →OCLC, page 181:
      She […] hath ſtiled him with an immortall penne, the bawewawe of ſchollars, the tutt of gentlemen, the tee-heegh of gentlewomen, the phy of citizens, the blurt of Courtiers, the poogh of good letters, the faph of good manners, and the whoop-hooe of good boyes in London ſtreetes.

Translations

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Noun

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bow-wow (plural bow-wows)

  1. The sound of a dog barking.
    • 1864, Bessie Rayner Parkes, “Fontainebleau”, in Good Words, volume 5, page 224:
      And a chorus of quadruped, white and brown, / Bark’d affirmative, “gone to town,” / With affable bursts of French bow-wow; / (As part of the family they knew how!)
    • 1911, Zane Grey, “VI. Trails”, in The Young Lion Hunter, New York: Grosset & Dunlap, →OCLC, →OL, page 63:
      The pack commenced to work back and forth along the ridge. We neared a hollow where Prince barked eagerly. Curley answered, and likewise Queen. Mux’s short, angry bow-wow showed that he was in line.
  2. (humorous or childish) A dog.
    • 1902, Theodore Roosevelt, letter to Kermit Roosevelt dated 13 October, 1902, in Joseph Bucklin Bishop (editor), Theodore Roosevelt’s Letters to His Children, New York: Scribner, 1919, p. 36,[1]
      Gem is really a very nice small bow-wow, but Mother found that in this case possession was less attractive than pursuit.
    • 1953, Ogden Nash, “The Pushover”, in You Can’t Get There From Here‎[2], Boston: Little, Brown & Co., page 56:
      My grandchild, who, when walking, wobbles,
      Calls dogs Bow-wows, and turkeys, Gobbles.
      Today I called a cow Moo-moo;
      She’s got me talking that way too.

Coordinate terms

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Derived terms

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See also

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Adjective

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bow-wow (not comparable)

  1. (dated, informal, of language) Grandiose.
    • 1785, James Boswell, The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides‎[3], London: Charles Dilly, page 8:
      Lord Pembroke said once to me at Wilton, with a happy pleasantry, and some truth, that “Dr. Johnson’s sayings would not appear so extraordinary were it not for his bow-wow way;” but I admit the truth of this only on some occasions.
    • 1826, Walter Scott, Diary entry for 14 March, 1826, in The Complete Works of Sir Walter Scott; with a Biography, New York: Conner & Cooke, 1833, Volume 7, Chapter 68, p. 475,[4]
      Miss Austen […] had a talent for describing the involvements, and feelings, and characters of ordinary life, which is to me the most wonderful I ever met with. The Big Bow-wow strain I can do myself like any now going; but the exquisite touch, which renders ordinary commonplace things and characters interesting, from the truth of the description and the sentiment, is denied to me.
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