paw

1
[ paw ]
See synonyms for: pawpawingpaws on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the foot of an animal having claws.

  2. the foot of any animal.

  1. Informal. the human hand, especially one that is large, rough, or clumsy: Keep your paws off my property.

verb (used with object)
  1. to strike or scrape with the paws or feet: a dog pawing the door.

  2. Informal. to handle or caress clumsily, rudely, or with unwelcome familiarity.

verb (used without object)
  1. to beat or scrape the floor, ground, etc., with the paws or feet.

  2. Informal. to handle or caress someone or something in a clumsy or rude manner or with unwelcome familiarity.

Origin of paw

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English pau(w)e, poue, from Middle French po(u)e (cognate with Provençal pauta ), from Germanic; compare Dutch poot, German Pfote

Other words from paw

  • paw·er, noun
  • un·pawed, adjective

Words that may be confused with paw

Words Nearby paw

Other definitions for paw (2 of 2)

paw2
[ paw ]

nounInformal.
  1. father; pa.

Origin of paw

2
First recorded in 1820–30; earlier and dialect pronunciation of pa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use paw in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for paw

paw

/ (pɔː) /


noun
  1. any of the feet of a four-legged mammal, bearing claws or nails

  2. informal a hand, esp one that is large, clumsy, etc

verb
  1. to scrape or contaminate with the paws or feet

  2. (tr) informal to touch or caress in a clumsy, rough, or overfamiliar manner; maul

Origin of paw

1
C13: via Old French from Germanic; related to Middle Dutch pōte, German Pfote

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012