Bow-Wow
/ˈbaʊ ˌwaʊ/noun
An imitative representation of a dog's bark, especially one used in speech or writing.
Did you know?Bow-wow belongs to a worldwide family of dog-bark imitations, but it has no inherited ancient root: its form was recreated directly from the sound people believed dogs made.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
βαῦ βαῦ (bau bau)
“An imitative representation of a dog's bark, recorded in comic and literary usage.”
Classical Latin
Latin
bau bau
“A conventional imitation of a dog's barking sound.”
16th–17th Century
English
bow-wow
“An English sound imitation for a dog's bark.”
18th Century
English
bow-wow
“A noun or interjection representing barking, sometimes used in descriptions of childish or animal speech.”
Modern English
English
bow-wow
“A playful written or spoken representation of a dog’s bark.”