I. ˈpȯ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French poue
1.
a. : the foot of a quadruped (as the lion, dog, or cat) having claws ; broadly : the foot of an animal
b. : fur taken from the legs and flanks of an animal and sewn together for garments
a coat of mink paw
2. : a human hand: as
a. : a large clumsy hand
selected a cigaret with a vast paw — Ellery Queen
b. : a child's small often grubby hand
go and wash those paws before dinner
3. archaic : something done by hand (as handwriting)
4. : the foreleg of an animal depicted in heraldry as couped or erased near the middle joint — distinguished from gamb
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1. : to stroke with the hand : feel or touch clumsily, indelicately, or rudely
he pawed his ear with a doubtful air — Arthur Morrison
an important man could find more to do than paw a lady's knees — Kenneth Roberts
2. : to touch or strike at with a paw : claw
barely escaped being pawed by the lion
3. : to scrape or beat with or as if with a hoof
long lines of pack mules pawed the dust of the street — American Guide Series: Oregon
the curb where his charger was pawing the gutter — Winston Churchill
4. : to handle clumsily or roughly especially while looking or examining
he pawed the stones hurriedly, searching — Liam O'Flaherty
don't care to have the critics paw the book at all — Mark Twain
5. : to flail at or grab for wildly
his right hand pawed the steel side ineffectually — R.O.Bowen
6. : to struggle to progress
the troops pawed forward gingerly a few hundred yards at a time — Norman Mailer
walked, stumbled, groped, and pawed our way through the fields — Herbert Passin
intransitive verb
1. : to beat or scrape with a hoof
horses … being tossing their heads and pawing and neighing — S.E.Morison
pawed vaguely with his foot for the brass rail — Dorothy Sayers
2. : to touch or strike with a paw
the kitten pawed at the mouse
the dog pawed at the back door begging to come in
3. : to feel or touch clumsily or rudely with the hand
his hand pawed about his skull — Liam O'Flaherty
4. : to search especially by handling carelessly or roughly
went back into the woodshed and pawed around for a heavy block of wood — Raymond Chandler
pawed through the bottom of the trunk
5. : to flail or grab wildly with the hand
sprang to the door and pawed at the bolt — William Faulkner
were all on their feet … their hands pawing at their daggers — T.B.Costain
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably alteration of obsolete English (northern dialect) pawk trick
Scotland : a quick or deft movement : trick
IV. adjective
or paw-paw ˈpȯˌpȯ
Etymology: paw probably alteration of pah (I) ; paw-paw reduplication of paw
1. : childishly improper : naughty
2. : indecent , obscene