Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MEW, v.t.² [W. miw, a shedding of feathers; It. mudare, to mew; Fr. muer; Arm. muza; G. mausen; D. muiten, to, mew or molt, to mutiny; Sp. muda, change, alteration, a mute letter, time of molding or shedding feathers, roost of a hawk; Port. mudar, to change, to mew or cast feathers or a slough; moda, a dumb woman, the mewing or molting of birds. The W. mud, a mew, is also removal, a pass or move, a change of residence, and mute; and the verb mudaw is to change, to remove, comprehending the L. muto and moto. We have then clear evidence that mew, a cage, mew, to molt, and the L. muto, moto, and mutus, and Eng. mutiny, are all from one root. The primary sense is to press or drive, whence to move, to change, and to shut up, that is, to press or drive close; and this is the sense of mute. Mutiny is from motion or change.]

To shed or cast; to change; to molt. The hawk mewed his feathers. Nine times the moon had mew'd her horns. Dryden.