paw

¹ American  

[paw] / pɔ /

noun

1. the foot of an animal having claws.

2. the foot of any animal.

3. Informal. the human hand, especially one that is large, rough, or clumsy.

   Keep your paws off my property.

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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.

paw ² American  

[paw] / pɔ /

noun

Informal.

1. father; pa.

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paw British  

/ 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

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verb

1. to scrape or contaminate with the paws or feet

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

Other Word Forms

• pawer noun
• unpawed adjective

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

Example Sentences

Nothing seems to ruffle his fur as this political veteran glides from crisis to crisis with feline calm, and the lick of a paw.

From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026

One example that profoundly impressed Mr. Rossano showed a dog pushing a series of buttons to communicate that something was stuck in his paw.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

Veterinarians determined the female cub had a malformed shoulder and elbow, along with a BB pellet embedded in her paw, the nonprofit said.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2025

I was a culinary raccoon: nosy, impulsive, endlessly compelled to paw at things that might have been better left alone.

From Salon • Jul. 4, 2025

Stepping back, he stood for several seconds looking at it; then he grinned and said, “Just to be sure that it won’t hurt a monkey’s paw, I think it should be tested out, don’t you?”

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• fondle