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
From funny Easter bunny antics and paw print cookies to a hip-hoppity trail, these clever Easter Bunny ideas are sure to make your little bunny's Easter extra special. Laura Fenton, Parents, 21 Mar. 2024 The cat can inspire the human by knocking over the paint and walking on the canvas, getting paw prints all over it. Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024 On Sunday night, a Nomura Plating factory worker uncovered a trail of yellow-brown paw prints that were traced back to the toxic container. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 As was our car on the drive back — despite the probable frostbite in our hands (and paws). Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Both have eyes and snouts, tails and paws, four legs and fur. Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024 Others want to take an adorable paw or floppy ear and pretend to eat it. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 Owners can have family photos hung up in the dog’s suite, individual playtime, baby wipes on their paws before going into their room, daily brushings, and nightly ice cream. Matt Keenan, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024 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
Verb
Its magnetic closure is one of the easiest for anyone with limited mobility and dexterity to fasten, and its straps adjust in the front (no need to paw around on your back). Malia Griggs, Glamour, 28 Feb. 2024 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

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 28 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!