: head, poll

pow

2 of 4

noun (2)

: a sound of a blow or explosion

POW

3 of 4

noun (3)

ˌpē-(ˌ)ō-ˈdə-bəl-(ˌ)yü How to pronounce POW (audio)
-bə-(ˌ)yü;
-ˈdəb-(ˌ)yü

POW

4 of 4

abbreviation

Powassan (virus)
According to a Center for Disease Control spokeswoman, POW virus can infect the central nervous system and cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord).Rick Murphy
There is no specific treatment, but people with severe POW virus illnesses often need to be hospitalized to receive respiratory support, intravenous fluids, or medications to reduce swelling in the brain.Kathryn Gallerani

Examples of pow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The young husband looking for his wife in the ashes, the Mitsubishi engineer who survived both bombings, the Scottish POW, and many more. Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025 The Hot Springs Shuttle offers a safe and easy ride when you’re done slaying the pow. Emily Pennington, Outside Online, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
Decades in jail Ahn’s imprisonment is among the longest endured by a North Korean POW held in the South. Gawon Bae, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025 Seven decades would pass before the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency exhumed the 12 unknowns in June 2019. Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pow

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

alteration of poll

Noun (2)

imitative

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1500, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1580, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pow was circa 1500

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pow. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

POW

abbreviation
Powassan (virus)
According to a Center for Disease Control spokeswoman, POW virus can infect the central nervous system and cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord).Rick Murphy
There is no specific treatment, but people with severe POW virus illnesses often need to be hospitalized to receive respiratory support, intravenous fluids, or medications to reduce swelling in the brain.Kathryn Gallerani

More from Merriam-Webster on pow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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