Bow-wow is a child's word for a dog, imitating a bark.
The term also represents the sound itself: The dog went bow-wow.
In informal or humorous contexts, bow-wow can describe something of poor quality: The movie was a real bow-wow.
1. bark — woof, Vocalization from canines; arf (Written canine sound); yap (Bark shrilly or jabber); yip (Short, sharp bark); growl · howl · yelp · snarl · ruff · grr · bay · howling · woof-woof · whimper
2. childtalk — baby, Very young child; toddler (Child learning to walk); infant (Very young child); babble (Incoherent speech); prattle · doggy · puppy · goo-goo · choo-choo · nursery · tot · moo-moo · neigh · meow
3. dog — puppy, Juvenile canine; canine (Of or like dogs); pet (Domesticated household companion); pooch (Informal term for canine); mutt · hound · retriever · beagle · poodle · terrier · labrador · spaniel · shepherd · husky
Opposites
REGISTER/MATURITY OF VOCABULARYbow-wow ≠ canine Of or like dogs; dog · bark · hound · technical terminology · proper English
ANIMAL SOUND TYPEbow-wow ≠ meow Feline vocalization; moo · hiss · purr · kitty-cat · oink
Categories
Reduplicatives: bye-bye, mama, papa, haha, yo-yo; animal sounds: bark, meow, woof, moo, roar
- Familiarity
- Top 100,000
- Profile
- Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G