a person who surrenders to (or is taken by) the enemy in time of war
"The captured soldiers were treated as pows rather than prisoners held under normal criminal law."
Initialism of prisoner of war.
"The miner's new block was accepted after it successfully generated a valid pow hash."
The sound of a violent impact.
Alternative form of poll
Initialism of proof of work.
In plain English: Pow is an old-fashioned word for a sudden, hard blow that hits something with force.
"The powder had lost its pow and wouldn't make our clothes fluffy anymore."
The sound of a violent impact, such as a punch.
"The boxer's fist connected with a loud pow that echoed through the gym."
The word "pow" likely originated as a variant of the English surname Poe or was borrowed from Cantonese and Hokkien dialects to represent an explosive sound. In all cases, it entered English to mimic the noise made by firearms or explosions.