[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/paw.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The Judaism dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/) / paw [← P](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/P/) # paw «paw» in Mova's judaism dictionary: **the foot of an animal like a cat, dog, bear or rabbit…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it. ### part of speech noun (a paw, paws); verb (paw, paws, pawed, pawing) ### meaning for a pupil 1) A paw is the foot of an animal like a cat, dog, bear or rabbit, usually with claws and soft pads. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#m1) 2) To paw something means to touch or scratch it with a paw, like a dog pawing at the door. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#m2) 3) To paw at something can mean a person touches it roughly or too much; «paws» is also a jokey word for hands. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#m3) 4) Paw can also mean the hoof of a horse, which a horse scrapes at the ground with, often when it is impatient. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#m4) ### sense in the lessons In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: In the Torah the animals that walk on paws are unclean, so they may not be eaten. Interpretation: The rabbis read this as a sign of a predator, since only animals with split hooves that chew the cud are clean. Touching their carcass makes a person unclean until evening. In the primary lessons: In science, paws help animals walk, run, dig, climb and hold food; pads cushion steps and claws grip. In everyday life with pets: a dog pawing at the door wants to go out; check a pet's paws for thorns, hot pavements or ice. In stories animals «raise a paw». Phrases: «paw prints», «a paw at the door», «get your paws off». ### examples - And whatsoever goeth upon its paws, among all beasts that go on all fours, they are unclean unto you; whoso toucheth their carcass shall be unclean until the even. (Torah LEV.11.27, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#x1) - The cat licked its paw. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#x2) - The dog pawed at the door to go out. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#x3) - We saw bear paw prints in the snow. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#x4) - My puppy gave me his paw. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#x5) - Hot pavements in summer can burn a dog's paws. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#x6) - The kitten batted the ball with its paw. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#x7) - Get your paws off my cake! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#x8) - The lion rested its head on its huge paws. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#x9) - Outside stood his faithful charger, pawing the ground. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/#x10) ### note Countable: «a paw, paws». Homophones: «pour», «pore» and «poor» sound the same as «paw» for many speakers in the UK, Australia and New Zealand; in the US they usually sound different. Horses and cows have hooves, not paws; birds have feet or claws. ### In the corpora - [He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength; he goeth out to meet the clash of arms.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/JOB.1081/) - [The soles of a polar bear's paws have fur and small bumps that grip the ice and keep the feet warm.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/105-the-polar-zone-polar-bears/11/) - [A raccoon dipping food in water is feeling it, not washing it; water makes its paws even more sensitive.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/6/) - [Most cats have 18 toes, five on each front paw and four on each back paw, and cats walk on their toes.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/327-a-kitten-at-home-litter-trays-scratching-posts-and-play/12/) - [Your dog is fast asleep on the rug, but its paws are paddling, its lips twitch and it gives tiny muffled woofs.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/391-do-animals-dream-twitching-dogs-replaying-rats-and-colour-changing-octopuses/0/) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every meaning and example of «paw» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/paw/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.