What does cawed mean?
Cawed is the past tense of the verb "caw," meaning to make the loud, harsh, grating cry that is the signature sound of crows, ravens, rooks, and related members of the crow family. The word is onomatopoeic — it imitates the very noise it describes — and it is used almost exclusively in connection with these birds. Writers reach for it frequently in descriptive and literary prose because the sound itself tends to set a scene: a field at dusk, a bare tree in winter, a lonely coastline. A sentence like "the crows cawed from the church tower" instantly evokes atmosphere, sometimes ominous, sometimes merely lively. Though limited in scope, the word is precise: no other common English verb captures this exact vocalization, which makes it indispensable in nature writing. It is standard in both British and American English and carries no strong register restrictions, appearing comfortably everywhere from field guides to novels.
verbPast tense and past participle of "caw": to utter the harsh, raucous cry characteristic of a crow, rook, or raven.
- (past tense of caw) uttered the harsh cry of a crow, raven, or similar corvid bird
"The crows cawed loudly from the bare branches as the funeral procession passed."
"A raven cawed twice from the cliff before taking flight."
"The rooks cawed noisily as they settled into their evening roost."
Crows are among the few animals that use different calls for different situations — so when a crow "cawed," it may have been saying something surprisingly specific.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cawed
The verb "caw" is an imitation of the harsh cry of the crow family, first recorded in English around the early 17th century. Like other echoic bird-call words such as "croak" and "hoot," it arose naturally from the sound itself rather than being borrowed from another language. Its past form "cawed" follows regular English inflection.
How cawed is actually used
Strictly a verb form; "cawed" is not used as a noun. It appears almost exclusively in descriptions of birds, often in nature writing and literary prose, where it carries a slightly atmospheric, sometimes ominous connotation.
Easily confused with cawed
"Cored" means having had the central part (as of a fruit) removed or pierced with a core, while "cawed" refers only to the harsh call of a crow-like bird.