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

The trove of fossils found during the museum’s expansion gets a fitting tribute in a 75,000 square-meter swath of concrete on the plaza scored with ropelike patterns, paw prints and serpent-like shapes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 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

The message for Prince William was signed online "with love", with the initials of Catherine and their children, George, Charlotte, Louis, and "the puppies", plus a paw print emoji.

From BBC • Jun. 21, 2025

The kitten’s paw pads were raw and red.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2025

Duane felt personally responsible, so he crouched beside the hole and thrust one paw into the water.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Related Words

• fondle