The foot of an animal that has claws or nails, especially a four-legged mammal.
From Old French 'powe,' possibly of Germanic origin, related to Dutch 'poot' (paw, leg). The word originally applied to any animal foot but gradually specialized to clawed or padded feet.
The word 'paw' captures something essentially different from human hands or feet - the combination of locomotion and manipulation that makes animal paws such versatile tools. When humans 'paw' at something, the verb suggests a clumsy, grabbing motion that contrasts with our usual dexterity.
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