paw

1 of 2

noun

1
: the foot of a quadruped (such as a lion or dog) that has claws
broadly : the foot of an animal
2
: a human hand especially when large or clumsy

paw

2 of 2

verb

pawed; pawing; paws

transitive verb

1
: to touch or strike at with a paw
2
: to feel or touch clumsily, rudely, or sexually
3
: to scrape or beat with or as if with a hoof
4
: to flail at or grab for wildly

intransitive verb

1
: to beat or scrape something with or as if with a hoof
2
: to touch or strike with a paw
3
: to feel or touch someone or something clumsily, rudely, or sexually
4
: to flail or grab wildly
5
: to search especially carelessly or roughly
pawed through the box of discount items

Examples of paw in a Sentence

Noun The dog injured his paw. Verb The bull was pawing the dirt. The celebrity couple was pawed by a mob of adoring fans. She claims that her boss got drunk and tried to paw her at the company Christmas party. A crowd of customers was pawing over the remaining sales items. She pawed through her purse to find her cell phone.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
As Patrón trotted past, the models collectively fluttered like a swarm of starlings. Upon returning, Patrón spent the rest of the evening at the bar, his front paws resting on its edge, as though waiting for a drink. Amanda Fortini, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 The heroic panda, Po (Jack Black), plops under a blossoming peach tree, relaxes his paws and attempts to concentrate on a mantra. Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Then there’s Hawkeye, the 3-year-old pit bull who entered as a stray with an arrow shot through his left front paw. Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 11 Feb. 2024 The second photo in the carousel showed the pooch sweetly placing her paw on Amos’ hand. Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 17 Jan. 2024 There are several ways to keep your pet safe from cold weather, including feeding your pet well, keeping your pets inside and checking your pet’s paws for signs of cold-weather injury or damage. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2024 Beyond coats, winter wear such as boots are beneficial in protecting paws from frostbite or injuries from chemical de-icers, Klein added. Alicia Wallace, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024 The shelter said the foothold traps did not cut deep into the dog’s paws. Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2024 Then the big cat lunges forward and slams its sizable paws against the window with a thud. Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 31 Jan. 2024
Verb
Boasting an all-star cast including Taraji P. Henson, Kristen Bell, Chris Rock, Serena Williams, and Kim Kardashian and her two kids North and Saint West, the film pawed its way to $23 million domestically, as per Comscore. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 1 Oct. 2023 The video — which has over 2 million likes — featured the cats passing by the Eiffel Tower, seeing Amsterdam, riding on a gondola in Venice, Italy, and pawing around London. Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 25 Jan. 2024 On stage alongside Shepherd pawing at various vintage keyboards, analog synths, and tape echo machines were Dan Snaith (aka Caribou), Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet), Kara-Lis Coverdale, Hinako Omori, and more, offering a final eulogy to the saxophone colossus. Pitchfork, 20 Dec. 2023 In a video of the incident, originally shared on Instagram by resident Maddie Church, the bear is shown outside a sliding glass door pawing at the handle. Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2023 Gathered in a corner of the square, a small group of teenagers paw the ground. Pino Gagliardi, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Sep. 2023 Chance and White completed therapy pet training through Love on a Leash, and soon, the pooch was pawing through the halls of Shriners Children's Lexington as a certified therapy dog, visiting kids with limb differences like him. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2023 Annapurna announced the move in the cutest way possible, with the game’s lead gato pawing an Xbox controller off a table, as its concerned owner stares helpless in the face of the cat’s reckless disregard. Ash Parrish, The Verge, 29 June 2023 The dogs are crossbred from sociable huskies and hardier Greenland dogs and are baying and pawing for attention. Taymour Soomro Scott Conarroe, New York Times, 10 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paw.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French powe, poe

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of paw was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near paw

Cite this Entry

“Paw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paw. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

paw

1 of 2 noun
1
: the foot of a four-footed animal (as a lion or dog) having claws
also : the foot of an animal
2
: a human hand especially when large or clumsy

paw

2 of 2 verb
1
: to touch or strike with a paw
2
: to touch or handle clumsily or rudely
pawed the merchandise
3
: to scrape or beat with or as if with a hoof
4
: to grab at wildly
5
: to search especially carelessly or roughly
pawed through the box of letters

More from Merriam-Webster on paw

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