Bearpaw

/ˈbɛɹpɔ/ noun

Definition

A large, broad paw of a bear; also, a regional food item (a pastry or baked good shaped like or associated with bear imagery) or a place name.

Etymology

Compound of 'bear' and 'paw'; the food item sense likely comes from regional or commercial naming, while the literal sense simply describes the animal's appendage.

Kelly Says

Place names and regional foods often preserve old English compounds that might otherwise vanish—'Bearpaw' pops up as town names and pastry names across North America, keeping these straightforward animal-part compounds alive in everyday language.

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