to paw
9
1.0
- verb
- /pɔ/
:
arañar
- The sorrel stood in a small clearing, pawing at the blossom-dusted ground.
OK, it go, It sounds like, you know, like, so if a Jaguar is like like pawing at somebody.
- OK, it go, It sounds like, you know, like, so if a Jaguar is like like pawing at somebody.
Examples
-
The horses of Apollo are pawing impatiently at the gates.
-
As soon as Stanley shuts the door, Milo starts pawing at the handle.
Fiction book (1994) -
I'm gonna paw at you like a cat.
-
I just like to have a minute to myself without you pawing at me all day.
-
The dog ran in circles around her, pawing, until she devoted full attention to rubbing his head.
Fiction book (2001) -
Stumbling back to its feet, the deer pawed frantically at the earth.
Fiction book (1998) -
Babe extended one foreleg and pawed at the water before setting her hoof down firmly.
Fiction book (1997) -
N2: On the beach the next morning, Ronnie sees a raccoon pawing at the sand.
Academic text (2010) -
He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength and charges into the fray.
-
When she wanted to go outside, the cat pawed at the door until someone let her out.
Synonyms
262
1.0
To rub the skin with nails to relieve an itch or cause soreness
110
1.0
To touch gently to show comfort or approval
31
1.1
To scratch or tear something with a sharp nail
Idioms
Compounds
- US
1
9.9
A small plant with low stems and closely packed pink flowers like a cat's paw found in forests
- Australian
An Australian plant with long leaves and bright fuzzy flowers shaped like tubes
- Australian
An Australian plant with soft, tube-shaped flowers often grown in gardens
How Forceful
Surface Forms
Etymology
Paw as a verb comes from the animal foot image — think of a cat using its paw to 'scrape' or push at something with small, repeated hits. That's why to paw at a blanket or window means to touch or scrape it with an animal's foot.