• IPA: /dɔː/

daw (plural daws)

1. A western jackdaw, Coloeus monedula, a passerine bird in the crow family (Corvidae), more commonly called jackdaw.

   • The loud daw, his throat displaying, draws / The whole assembly of his fellow daws.

   • c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act 1, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:

     […] But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

     For daws to peck at: I am not what I am.

2. (obsolete) An idiot, a simpleton; fool.
   • 2002, Joseph O'Connor, Star of the Sea, Vintage 2003, p.

     ‘Of course I do, you great daw.’ She kissed his beautiful mouth and moved his fringe out of his eyes.

• jackdaw (Eurasian jackdaw, European jackdaw, western jackdaw)

daw (daws, present participle dawing; past and past participle dawed)

1. (obsolete, outside, Scotland) To dawn.
2. (obsolete) To wake (someone) up.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/MaloryWks2/1:13.10?rgn=div2;view=fulltext chapter 10], in Le Morte Darthur, book XI:

     ANd whanne the Quene herd them saye soo / she felle to the erthe in a dede swoune / and thenne syr Bors took her vp / and dawed her / & whanne she was awaked she kneled afore the thre knyghtes / and helde vp bothe their handes and besoughte them to seke hym

3. (obsolete) To daunt; to terrify.

daw (plural daws)

1. Initialism of digital audio workstation

1. Initialism of dispense#English|dispense as written#English|written.

1. Surname