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

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.

Example Sentences

And a former lion from Longleat is being immortalised by an inventor who has recreated her paw print in tyre form, which could help improve the grip of Nasa's rover vehicles that work on Mars.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

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

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

Clare laid a paw on Gingersnipes’s shoulder and gave her a soft pat, which was, in his way, more tender than any embrace.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Related Words

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