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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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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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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are pawingprogressive
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am 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.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren’t so fatigued by Monkey’s Paw tales because horror’s cyclical nature hasn’t yet completely revamped this trope for a new era.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026
I pass a Target where Salmon once had a meltdown over a Paw Patrol fire truck.
From Slate • May 10, 2026
Sometimes a tall sock and a short one; sometimes a Paw Patrol relic from toddlerhood.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Basildon Council also launched an inquiry into what it knew of Save A Paw prior to the raid.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
These prints, together with another footmark found on the same cardboard cover—the bold and bloody impression of a Cat’s Paw half sole— were the only “serious clues” the investigators could claim.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
