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)
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pawed,
past participle, past
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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:
As Professor Mitchell puts it: "The connections between dogs on the one paw and people dependent on wild plant and animal resources on the other are ancient, diverse, and profound."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
It began when two stray cats made city venues their home, becoming social media stars thanks to the incongruous sights of tail and turntable, pint and paw.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 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
After Alquinga and Tupiza's ceremony, Luna stamped her paw on their marriage license, which also had the signatures of the couple -- and other human witnesses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
Clare stretched out his arms, as if to say, All intact, though he flexed his paw where a quill had struck him.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
As they worked, the kitten, caught by her neck, meowed and tried to use her back paws to push the cabinet away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
At least Elon Musk will never be able to get his grubby little ravioli paws on your sticker-adorned binder of crystal card pulls.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 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
The charity also recommends the pavement test: if you can't comfortably hold your hand on the ground for five seconds, it's too hot for your dog's paws, external.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
Clasping his little black paws, his one good eye glowing brightly from beneath the shadow of his cloak, Clare said, “Mr. Frabwick, I’ll just be out with it. You’re dead.”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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 paint changed hands, the tempo rose, the men pawed each other freely, using touch and color to shake off their invisibility.
From New York Times ● May 12, 2022
What if her girlfriends pawed through her threadbare socks, Nancy Drew mysteries, and frayed hair ribbons, casting them aside and choosing none?
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
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
These are not easy shoes to step into, but Foster spends much of her time onstage barefoot, pawing her way into the part with those dirty, bare-soled, hilariously expressive feet of hers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2024
Even Stokes was prowling laps of the boundary on Thursday, like a caged tiger pawing at the ground.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2024
All he’s doing with this feral pawing for a message is frittering that away.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2024
His hand was pawing at the empty tray, fishing for another cooky.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
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.
