paw

UK: /ˈpɔː/ US: /pɔ/ ,(pô)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

paw¹ /pɔ/   n. [countable]

1. Zoology the foot of an animal that has claws or nails:
   The dog held up its sore paw.
2. Informal Terms the human hand, esp. one that is large, rough, or clumsy:
   "Keep your paws off me!'' she screamed at him.

v. 

3. to strike or scrape with the paws or feet: [~ + object]
   The cat pawed the door.
   [~ + at + object]
   The cat pawed at the door, trying to get in.
4. Informal Terms to handle (someone) clumsily, rudely, or without permission;
   grope:
   [~ + object] She testified that he first pawed her, then tried to rip off her clothes.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

paw¹  (pô), n. 

1. Zoology the foot of an animal having claws.
2. Zoology the foot of any animal.
3. Informal Terms the human hand, esp. one that is large, rough, or clumsy:
   Keep your paws off my property.

v.t. 

4. to strike or scrape with the paws or feet:
   a dog pawing the door.
5. Informal Terms to handle or caress clumsily, rudely, or with unwelcome familiarity.

v.i. 

6. Animal Behavior to beat or scrape the floor, ground, etc., with the paws or feet.
7. Informal Terms to handle or caress someone or something in a clumsy or rude manner or with unwelcome familiarity.

• Gmc; compare Dutch poot, German Pfote
• Middle French poue (cognate with Provencal pauta)
• Middle English pawe, variant of powe 1300–50

paw′er, n. 

paw²  (pô), n. [Informal.]

1. Informal Terms father;
   pa.

• earlier and dialect, dialectal pronunciation, pronounced of pa, reflecting the now lapsed constraint against a maximally open back vowel in an open stressed final syllable 1900–05, American.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

paw / pɔː/ noun

1. any of the feet of a four-legged mammal, bearing claws or nails
2. a hand, esp one that is large, clumsy, etc

verb

1. to scrape or contaminate with the paws or feet
2. (transitive) to touch or caress in a clumsy, rough, or overfamiliar manner; maul

Etymology: 13th Century: via Old French from Germanic; related to Middle Dutch pōte, German Pfote