paw

¹

[ paw ]

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.

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

[ paw ]

noun

, Informal.

1. father; pa.

paw

/ 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

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 Words From

• paw·er noun
• un·pawed adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of paw¹

C13: via Old French from Germanic; related to Middle Dutch pōte, German Pfote

Example Sentences

Then she accused him of “pawing” through her script and — while mimicking his South African accent — claimed he didn’t laugh at the sketch a single time.

From Los Angeles Times

Hustle has a habit of touching my arm over and over again with his big paw when he’s ready to go out.

From Los Angeles Times

Stage door is busy with family and friends of the singers and musicians, but Bridget gets her fair share of fans who want to shake her paw and wish her well.

From BBC

Even Stokes was prowling laps of the boundary on Thursday, like a caged tiger pawing at the ground.

From BBC

She said his blood work showed low protein levels, and the pads on his paws were dry, cracked and calloused, proof that he had spent a lot of time on his own.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fondle