A paw is the foot of an animal that has claws or nails instead of hooves. Dogs, cats, bears, raccoons, and many other mammals have paws. Unlike human feet, paws typically have thick, cushioned pads on the bottom that protect the animal when walking on rough ground, and they usually have claws for gripping, digging, or climbing.

When you watch a cat walk silently across the floor, those soft pads on its paws absorb the sound of each step. When a dog digs a hole in the yard, it uses its front paws like shovels. A bear's massive paws can be gentle enough to pluck berries or powerful enough to catch salmon from a river.

People sometimes use paw as a verb meaning to touch or handle something clumsily or roughly, often in an annoying way. If someone is pawing through a messy desk drawer, they're rummaging around carelessly. When a puppy excitedly paws at your leg, it's scratching or pushing at you with its paw, usually because it wants attention or treats.