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Added 9 October 2026

paw

/pɔː(ɹ)/ noun

In Latin: pēs, patta Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about paw at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A clawed foot of an animal especially a quadruped.
The (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb.
he had the hands of a surgeon

verb

Scrape with the paws.
The bear pawed the door
Touch clumsily.
The man tried to paw her

Origin

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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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