Standard Lemma guide

bow-chicka-wow-wow

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • onomatopoetic Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Sexual activity or approval.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: euphemistic, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The music used in pornographic movies or by strippers.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: onomatopoeic, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From onomatopoeia for the stereotypical funk riff used in the soundtracks to pornographic films. Wired credits comedian Jordan Brady as "apparently the first person ever to use the phrase" and it was a part of his act in his Evening at the Improv routine in 1989.