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mew

1. A cage for hawks while mewing; a coop for fattening fowls; hence, any inclosure; a place of confinement or shelter; in the latter sense usually in the plural. Full many a fat partrich had he in mewe. (Chaucer) Forthcoming from her darksome mew. (Spenser) Violets in their secret mews. (Wordsworth)

2. A stable or range of stables for horses; compound used in the plural, and so called from the royal stables in london, built on the site of the king's mews for hawks.

Origin: OE. Mue, F. Mue change of feathers, scales, skin, the time or place when the change occurs, fr. Muer to molt, mew, L. Mutare to change. See Mew.

(Science: zoology) A gull, especially. The common British species (Larus canus).

Synonym: sea mew, maa, mar, mow, and cobb.

Origin: AS. Mw, akin to D. Meeuw, G. Mowe, OHG. Mh, Icel. Mar.