paw

CEFRB1

/pɔː/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    An animal's foot with claws or soft pads.

  2. 02

    verb

    To touch or scratch something repeatedly with a paw or hand.

Examples

  • I don't want to be made a cat's paw.

  • The dog gave a yelp when I trod on its paw.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /poː/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. Of an animal, to touch (something) with a paw., Of an animal, to dig through (something, such as a garbage can) with paws.

  2. The soft foot of a mammal or other animal, generally a quadruped, that has claws or nails; comparable to a human hand or foot.

verb

Extra meaning

  1. Of an animal, to touch (something) with a paw.

More examples

In context

  • Get your grubby paws off my things!

  • Abel smiled broadly and proffered his hamlike paw to the chief […]

  • Mrs. Hauksbee laid her hand lightly upon the ungloved paw that rested on the turned-backed ’rickshaw hood, and, looking the man full in the face, said tenderly, almost too tenderly, “I believe in you if you mistrust yourself.”

Synonyms

Quick test

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The friendly dog lifted its blank to shake hands with the visitor.

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Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English pawe, from Old French poue, poe, from Vulgar Latin *pauta. Further origin unknown, perhaps from Frankish *pōta, from Frankish *pōtōn (“to put, stick, plant”), from Proto-Germanic *putōną, whence also Old English potian (“to push”), pȳtan (“to put out, poke out”). See more at put. Doublet of pote, put, and putt. Cognate with Dutch poot, poten (“to plant”), Low German Pote, German Pfote, Icelandic pota (“to stick”).