paw
1 Americannoun
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the foot of an animal having claws.
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the foot of any animal.
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Informal. the human hand, especially one that is large, rough, or clumsy.
Keep your paws off my property.
verb (used with object)
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paws,
present (3rd person singular)
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pawed,
past participle, past
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pawing
present participle
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to strike or scrape with the paws or feet.
a dog pawing the door.
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Informal. to handle or caress clumsily, rudely, or with unwelcome familiarity.
verb (used without object)
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paws,
present (3rd person singular)
-
pawed,
past participle, past
-
pawing
present participle
-
to beat or scrape the floor, ground, etc., with the paws or feet.
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Informal. to handle or caress someone or something in a clumsy or rude manner or with unwelcome familiarity.
noun
noun
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any of the feet of a four-legged mammal, bearing claws or nails
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informal a hand, esp one that is large, clumsy, etc
verb
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to scrape or contaminate with the paws or feet
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informal (tr) to touch or caress in a clumsy, rough, or overfamiliar manner; maul
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pawsimple
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pawssimple
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have pawedperfect
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has pawedperfect
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am pawingprogressive
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are pawingprogressive
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is pawingprogressive
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have been pawingperfect progressive
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has been pawingperfect progressive
Past
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pawedsimple
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had pawedperfect
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was pawingprogressive
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were pawingprogressive
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had been pawingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of paw1
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
Origin of paw2
First recorded in 1820–30; earlier and dialect pronunciation of pa
Explanation
A paw is a four-legged animal's foot. Dogs, cats, rabbits, and bears all have paws. Sharks? Not so much. Most paws have claws and soft pads that cushion the animal's legs as it walks. Cats' paws have sharp, retractable claws, while dogs have hard, dull claws that don't retract. There are also many animals with four legs that don't have paws, like horses and lizards. If an animal paws you, it nudges or scrapes you with its paw. If a person paws you, they use their hands clumsily, almost as if they were paws.
Vocabulary lists containing paw
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The treated mice also moved more normally and placed more weight on the paw attached to the injured leg than untreated animals did.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
He spun so much that I had to put a bootie on his back right foot because Cosmo wore down his paw pad until it bled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
While Luna's paw print has no legal standing, the gesture holds sentimental value, and more than 50 Ecuadoran couples have elected to get married in front of their dogs and cats since May.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
During his run, he said, he was taken aback by sights such as a North Korean raising a poodle’s paw to wave at runners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
He reveled in the strength of his legs and the stretch of his back; in the suppleness that let him turn at full speed on a single paw.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
The male bear—later identified as a known burglar named Judy—moseyed into a bathroom, put its paws on the counter and sniffed a tube of toothpaste before leaving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
These hairs are especially common behind the ears, beneath the lips, and near the base of the paws.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
"If you can't hold your hand on the ground for five seconds, it will burn your dog's paws," it warned.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
If she wants to go outside, she dramatically paws at the mirror, then tries to punch it with all her might, for some reason.
From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2026
He grunted, clapped his paws, and turned a few somersaults.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Unwilling to limit themselves to literature, cats have successfully pawed their way into a wide range of artistic mediums.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
I pawed through the outer lands of my mother’s closet before asking if I could alter a navy trapeze-style dress she no longer wore.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
The dog’s water bowl was empty and there were signs he had pawed at the sliding door.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 29, 2022
The animal stopped at the boardwalk, shook its head and pawed the ground.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2022
The boar grunted and pawed the ground, ready to charge.
From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan
It was a cagey start with both seemingly intent on a scouting mission, Crocker pawing his right hand as Donovan missed with some early shots but did land late in the round.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2025
Sunday’s most intriguing sporting event won’t be Ravens versus the Bills, or Lions pawing at Packers, or even the Jets facing off against their former yoga instructor, Aaron Rodgers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2025
Boots, a young black-and-white domestic shorthair cat, lies on his back, pawing playfully at the air.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2025
All he’s doing with this feral pawing for a message is frittering that away.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2024
Though Aunt Fanny Hamline outweighed his horse, with all eight of us and Tansy pushing the wagon and pulling on the rope and the horse straining and pawing the road, we showed some progress.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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