Plural of 'pow,' an onomatopoeia representing the sound of a sudden impact, collision, or explosion.
From imitative origin, first documented in comic books in the 1960s. Batman's fight scenes popularized 'POW' as a visual sound effect.
Comic books elevated onomatopoeia to high art—'POW' became so associated with Batman that it's impossible to hear or read it without seeing Adam West in costume, showing how popular culture can literalize sounds in our minds.
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