What is "mews"

Mews \Mews\, n. sing. & pl. [Prop. pl. of mew. See Mew a cage.] An alley where there are stables; a narrow passage; a confined place. [Eng.]

Mr. Turveydrop's great room . . . was built out into a mews at the back.
--Dickens.

"stables grouped around an open yard," 1630s, from Mewes, name of the royal stables at Charing Cross, built 1534 on the site of the former royal mews (attested from late 14c.), where the king's hawks were kept (see mew (n.2)). Extended by 1805 to "street of former stables converted to human habitations."

Etymology 1 n. (context British English) An alley where there are stables; a narrow passage; a confined place. Etymology 2

n. (plural of mew English) Etymology 3

vb. (en-third-person singular of: mew)

n. street lined with building that were originally private stables but have been remodeled as dwellings; "she lives in a Chelsea mews"

Mews is a primarily British term formerly describing a row of stables, usually with carriage houses below and living quarters above, built around a paved yard or court, or along a street, behind large city houses, such as those of London, during the 17th and 18th centuries. The word may also refer to the lane, alley or back street onto which such stables open. It is sometimes applied to rows or groups of garages or, more broadly, to a narrow passage or a confined place. Today most mews stables have been converted into dwellings.

In the Smart Growth, Traditional Neighborhood Development and New Urbanism movements, the term is used to refer to the creation of new housing with similar characteristics to the historic type: a grouping of small dwellings which front on an alley or pedestrian passage.

In falconry, a mews is a birdhouse designed to house one or more birds of prey.

In falconry there are two types of mews: the freeloft mews and traditional mews. Traditional mews usually consist of partitioned spaces designed to keep tethered birds separated with perches for each bird in the partitioned space. Many birds can be safely and comfortably housed in this setup. Traditional mews must be accompanied by a weathering yard to allow captive raptors adequate time outside as most traditional mews do not permit tethered raptors to spend time outdoors.

Freeloft mews allow captive raptors more freedom of motion, but require much more space, as usually only one raptor may safely occupy the much larger chambers. Mews chambers can be as small as but are frequently much larger, often occupying as much space as a small house and sometimes reaching as high as three storeys. Birds are allowed to fly free within the chamber, and very often can choose between a number of perches.

The word "mews" came from French muer = "to change", because falconry birds were put in the mews while they were moulting.