paw
gb/pˈɔ/ us/pˈɔ/
A2
English
~ 9400
mancs, kapar, tapogat, fogdos, apó, apa
NOUN
A2
1
mancs
A2
Usage pattern:
an animal's [front/back] paw
The dog raised its paw and placed it gently in my hand.
A kutya felemelte a mancsát, és óvatosan a kezembe tette.
The kitten washed its front paws after eating.
A kiscica evés után megmosta a mellső mancsait.
Large muddy paw prints covered the kitchen floor.
The bear's huge paws left deep marks in the snow.
She noticed a small cut on the cat's back paw.
Learner examples
The cat hurt its front paw.
A macskának megsérült az egyik mellső mancsa.
My dog puts his paw on my leg when he wants food.
A kutyám a lábamra teszi a mancsát, ha enni kér.
There is mud on his paws.
The puppy has very small paws.
She held the rabbit's paw carefully.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'paw' for people, saying things like *'He hurt his paw.'* For humans, use 'hand' or 'foot'; 'paw' is normally only for animals, except in a few informal expressions.
Meaning
foot of an animal with claws
Collocations
front paws
|back paws
|big paws
|soft paws
|lift a paw
|wipe its paws
Synonyms
foot (More general; can refer to human or animal, while 'paw' is specifically for many animals.)
|
claw (Refers mainly to the sharp nail part, not the whole foot.)
Antonyms
hoof (Refers to the hard foot of animals like horses or cows, which contrasts with a soft, padded paw.)
Themes
animals
|body
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The soft foot of an animal like a cat or dog that has pads and claws.
The soft, padded foot of an animal such as a cat, dog, or bear, usually with claws or nails.
VERB
B1
2
Usage pattern:
to paw (at) [something]
The dog pawed at the door until someone let him in.
A kutya addig kaparta az ajtót, amíg valaki be nem engedte.
The horse nervously pawed the ground before the race.
A ló idegesen kaparta a földet a verseny előtt.
The cat sat on the windowsill, pawing at the glass.
He pawed through his backpack, looking for his keys.
The bear pawed at the tree trunk to reach the honey.
Learner examples
The dog paws at the door when he wants to go out.
A kutya kaparja az ajtót, amikor ki akar menni.
The horse pawed the ground again and again.
A ló újra meg újra kaparta a földet.
The cat pawed at the box to open it.
He pawed through the box to find a photo.
The puppy pawed at my leg for attention.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'pat'. 'Paw' suggests rough, repeated, or clumsy movement, often by an animal; 'pat' is usually gentle and controlled.
Meaning
touch or scrape with a paw
Collocations
paw at the door
|paw the ground
|paw at the window
|paw through a bag
|paw nervously at [something]
Synonyms
scrape (Focuses more on the rubbing or scratching movement, less on the limb used.)
|
fumble (Suggests clumsy touching with the hands, but does not imply an animal or paw.)
Antonyms
stroke (Means to touch gently and smoothly, the opposite of the rough or clumsy motion implied by 'paw'.)
Themes
animals
|movement
|daily_life
|body
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To touch or hit something again and again with your paw or hand, often in a rough or clumsy way.
To touch, hit, or scrape something with a paw or hand, often repeatedly or clumsily.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
3
fogdos
B2
Usage pattern:
to paw [someone]
She moved away quickly as he tried to paw her in the crowded bar.
Gyorsan odébb húzódott, amikor a férfi megpróbálta fogdosni a zsúfolt bárban.
The actor was criticized for pawing his co-star during the photoshoot.
A színészt bírálták, amiért a fotózáson fogdosta a színésztársát.
He complained that fans kept pawing at him whenever he appeared in public.
The scene showed men pawing drunkenly at the dancers.
She told him to stop pawing her and leave her alone.
Learner examples
She was angry because he tried to paw her at the party.
Dühös volt, mert a férfi megpróbálta fogdosni a bulin.
The woman said the man on the train pawed her.
A nő azt mondta, hogy a vonaton egy férfi fogdosta.
He felt uncomfortable when strangers pawed him for photos.
She told him, "Don't paw me. I don't like that."
The report said some fans pawed the singer during the show.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'touch' or 'hold' where 'paw' or 'grope' is more accurate. 'Paw' suggests rude, rough, or sexual touching that is usually not welcome; it is negative and should not be used for normal affection like hugging or holding hands.
Meaning
touch someone in an unwanted way
Collocations
paw at her
|paw all over him
|drunken men pawing women
|stop pawing me
Synonyms
grope (Very close in meaning, but often stronger and more clearly used for sexual touching, especially in legal or serious contexts.)
Antonyms
respect (To respect someone's personal boundaries means not touching them in such an unwanted way.)
Themes
relationships
|sex
|social_behavior
|health
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To touch someone a lot with your hands in a sexual or rough way that they do not want.
To touch or handle someone with the hands in a rough, clumsy, or overly sexual way, especially when it is not wanted.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
4
mancs
B1
Usage pattern:
keep your paws off [something/someone]
Keep your paws off my phone.
El a mancsokkal a telefonomtól!
He couldn't wait to get his paws on the new game console.
Alig várta, hogy rátehesse a mancsát az új játékkonzolra.
She slapped his wrist and told him to get his paws off her bag.
Those cookies are for later, so keep your sticky paws away.
The kids had paint all over their paws after art class.
Learner examples
Keep your paws off my computer.
El a mancsokkal a számítógépemtől!
He wants to get his paws on that new car.
Rá akarja tenni a mancsát arra az új autóra.
She told her brother to get his paws off her things.
Don't put your dirty paws on the sofa.
The teacher said, "Hands, or paws, off the wall."
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use this informal sense in serious writing or polite conversation, where it can sound rude or childish. In formal or neutral situations, use 'hand(s)' instead of 'paw(s)'.
Meaning
informal term for someone's hand
Collocations
keep your paws off
|get your paws off
|dirty paws
|sticky paws
|get your paws on
Synonyms
hand (Neutral; does not carry the joking, rude, or disapproving tone that 'paw' has in this sense.)
Antonyms
clean hands (Suggests hands that are not dirty or not involved in something wrong, contrasting with 'dirty' or 'sticky' paws.)
Themes
body
|social_behavior
|informal_speech
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A joking or unfriendly word for someone's hand, especially when they should not touch something.
A person's hand, especially when it is seen as clumsy, dirty, or not supposed to touch something.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
5
Usage pattern:
Paw said [something]
"Paw says we gotta get the hay in before dark," the boy muttered.
„Apó azt mondja, sötétedés előtt be kell hordanunk a szénát” – dünnyögte a fiú.
In the old novel, the children always call their father "Paw."
A régi regényben a gyerekek mindig „Apó”-nak szólítják az apjukat.
Paw took me fishing down by the river every summer.
She wrote, "Paw was strict, but he loved us."
The film shows a poor farmer, his wife, and their kids calling him "Paw."
Learner examples
In this story, the children call their father "Paw."
Ebben a történetben a gyerekek „Apó”-nak hívják az apjukat.
The boy says, "Paw, can I go to town?"
A fiú azt kérdezi: „Apó, bemehetek a városba?”
Her Paw works on a small farm in the movie.
I saw the word "Paw" used for "father" in an old book.
In some places, people say "Paw" instead of "Dad."
Common mistake:
Learners may think this is a normal spelling of 'pa' or 'dad' in modern English. In reality, 'Paw' is regional or old-fashioned and mostly appears in fiction to show accent or rural speech.
Meaning
dialect word for father
Collocations
Ma and Paw
|Paw said
|Paw told me
|Paw's farm
Synonyms
dad (Standard and very common; not limited to any particular region or time period.)
Antonyms
ma (Informal word for mother; often paired with 'Paw' or 'Pa' in dialect stories.)
Themes
family
|dialect
|literature
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A dialect word for "father", used in some areas or in stories, often written as "Paw".
Father; used in some regional or old-fashioned varieties of English, especially in rural or Southern U.S. speech, often written with a capital letter.
Grammar
Dictionary form
paw
IPA
GB/pˈɔ/
US/pˈɔ/
Syllables & stress
paw (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (paw)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: paw
- Plural: paws
Verb
- Base: paw
- 3rd Person Singular: paws
- Present Participle: pawing
- Past: pawed
Word family
Forms
paws
noun
pawing
verb
pawed
verb
Related words
pawprint
noun
Advanced or less common
forepaw
noun
Expressions
get your paws on
1/ɡˈɛt jˈʊɹ pˈɔz ˈɔn/
idiom
informal
manage to get something
To get or obtain something you really want, sometimes in a dishonest or greedy way.
Examples
- He's trying to get his paws on as many rare comics as he can.
- I finally got my paws on the new phone after weeks of waiting.
- They will do anything to get their paws on that money.
keep your paws off
1/kˈip jˈʊɹ pˈɔz ˈɔf/
idiom
informal
do not touch this
Used to tell someone not to touch something or someone.
Examples
- Those cookies are for the guests, so keep your paws off.
- He told his roommate to keep his paws off his laptop.
- Keep your paws off my little brother, or you'll answer to me.