Paw Definition

paw

English

Alternative forms

• pa

Etymology 1

The word probably has an origin in baby talk: see ‘pa’.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pô, IPA: /pɔː/, SAMPA: /pO:/
• Rhymes: -ɔː

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Homophones: poor (in non-rhotic accents), pore (in non-rhotic accents), pour (in non-rhotic accents)
• Hyphenation: paw (one syllable)

Noun

paw (plural paws)

1. (nonstandard or rural) Father; pa.

Synonyms

• (father:) pawpaw, pa, papa, father, dad, daddy, pappy

Hypernyms

• (father:) parent

Hyponyms

• (father:) step-paw

Coordinate terms

• maw, brother, sis/sissy

Derived terms

• pawpaw

Related terms

• pa

Etymology 2

Middle English pawe, from Old French poue, poe, from Old Low Franconian *pōta (compare Dutch poot, Low German Pote, German Pfote), from *pōton 'to put, stick, plant' (compare Dutch poten 'to plant'), from Proto-Germanic *putōnan (compare Old English potian 'to push', pȳtan 'to put out, poke out', Icelandic pota 'to stick'). More at put.

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: pô, IPA: /pɔː/, SAMPA: /pO:/
• Rhymes: -ɔː
• (US) enPR: pô, IPA: /pɔ/, SAMPA: /pO/
• (cot–caught merger) enPR: pä, IPA: /pɑ/, SAMPA: /pA/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Homophones: poor (in non-rhotic accents), pore (in non-rhotic accents), pour (in non-rhotic accents)
• Hyphenation: paw (one syllable)

Noun

paw (plural paws)

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

Synonyms

• (foot of a mammal:) hand, foot

Hypernyms

• (foot of a mammal:) limb extremity

Meronyms

• claw

Holonyms

• limb

Coordinate terms

• hoof, talon

Derived terms

• paw (verb)
• pawprint(s)
• catpaw

Related terms

• possibly German Pfote
• cat's paw

Translations

Etymology 3

From the noun paw, meaning an animal's hand or foot.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pô, IPA: /pɔː/, SAMPA: /pO:/
• Rhymes: -ɔː

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Homophones: poor (in non-rhotic accents), pore (in non-rhotic accents), pour (in non-rhotic accents)
• Hyphenation: paw (one syllable)

Verb

paw (third-person singular simple present paws, present participle pawing, simple past and past participle pawed)

1. (of an animal) To go through something (such as a garbage can) with paws
2. (of an animal) To gently push on something with a paw.
3. (by extension, of a human) To touch someone (with the hands) in a sexual way.
   • August 17 1997, Robert Spector, in misc.fitness.weights:

     IronMan used to be good in this way, back in the '80s. [...] They wouldn't subscribe to the old, "Let's put a male bodybuilder with silicone babes pawing him" cover that's mainstay now.

   • October 26 1997, Verbotene, quoted by Amy McWilliams, in rec.arts.tv.soaps.abc:

     So, Katherine was out with Luke and they were both quite dolled up and swoon-worthy. Katherine fawned all over Luke and pawed him, but to what end? Was Stefan supposed to believe that Luke and Katherine have some sort of a thing going? What was the point of this display from Katherine's perspective?

   • July 18 2002, Lurker Dave, in rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe:

     Subtlety is great, but what exactly happened with Jessica and the cop during sex that he locked her up afterwards? Also, what was the item she nicked from his shirt while she pawed him?

4. (by extension, of a human) To clumsily dig through something.

Hypernyms

• (to go through something with paws): handle
• (to gently push on something): touch

See also

• palpate
• paw off

Translations

Anagrams

• PWA
• WAP
• WPA

Polish

Wikipedia ^pl

Pronunciation

• IPA: /paf/

Noun

paw m.

1. (male) |peacock

Declension

Related 'Paw' Searches:

See Also:

• Com Paw
• Coom Paws
• Paw Bumi
• Paw Objects
• Paw Paw
• Pawpaw
• Pawpaws
• Pawprint
• Paws
• Pl:paw