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# paw

noun (a paw, paws); verb (paw, paws, pawed, pawing)

«paw» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A paw is the foot of an animal like a cat, dog, bear or rabbit, usually with claws and soft pads. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/#m1)
2. To paw something means to touch or scratch it with a paw, like a dog pawing at the door. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/#m2)
3. To paw at something can mean a person touches it roughly or too much; «paws» is also a jokey word for hands. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/#m3)
4. Paw can also mean the hoof of a horse, which a horse scrapes at the ground with, often when it is impatient. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/#m4)

### In the lessons

In science, paws help animals walk, run, dig, climb and hold food; pads cushion steps and claws grip. In everyday life with pets: a dog pawing at the door wants to go out; check a pet's paws for thorns, hot pavements or ice. In stories animals «raise a paw». Phrases: «paw prints», «a paw at the door», «get your paws off».

### Examples

- The cat licked its paw. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/#x1)
- The dog pawed at the door to go out. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/#x2)
- We saw bear paw prints in the snow. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/#x3)
- My puppy gave me his paw. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/#x4)
- Hot pavements in summer can burn a dog's paws. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/#x5)
- The kitten batted the ball with its paw. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/#x6)
- Get your paws off my cake! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/#x7)
- The lion rested its head on its huge paws. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/#x8)
- Outside stood his faithful charger, pawing the ground. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/#x9)

### Note

Countable: «a paw, paws». Homophones: «pour», «pore» and «poor» sound the same as «paw» for many speakers in the UK, Australia and New Zealand; in the US they usually sound different. Horses and cows have hooves, not paws; birds have feet or claws.

## In Jewish tradition

In the Torah the animals that walk on paws are unclean, so they may not be eaten.

**Interpretation.** The rabbis read this as a sign of a predator, since only animals with split hooves that chew the cud are clean. Touching their carcass makes a person unclean until evening.

### Examples

- And whatsoever goeth upon its paws, among all beasts that go on all fours, they are unclean unto you; whoso toucheth their carcass shall be unclean until the even. (Torah LEV.11.27, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#x1)

### Note

Countable: «a paw, paws». Homophones: «pour», «pore» and «poor» sound the same as «paw» for many speakers in the UK, Australia and New Zealand; in the US they usually sound different. Horses and cows have hooves, not paws; birds have feet or claws.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «paw» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paw/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«paw» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/paw.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «paw» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«paw» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/paw.html) on Mova free.