Paw

Paw - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

PAW, n. [L. pes, pedis; Eng. foot.]

1. The foot of beasts of prey having claws, as the lion, the tiger, the dog, cat, _c. Lev 11.

2. The hand; in contempt.

PAW, v.i. To draw the fore foot along the ground; to scrape with the fore foot; as a fiery horse, pawing with his hoof.

He paweth in the valley. Job 39.

PAW, v.t. To scrape with the fore foot.

His hot courser paw'd th' Hungarian plain.

1. To handle roughly; to scratch.

2. To fawn; to flatter.

po (kaph, literally, "palm," yadh, literally, "hand"): The former (kaph) is applied to the soft paws of animals in contradistinction to the hoofs (Le 11:27); the latter is thrice used in 1Sa 17:37: "Yahweh that delivered me out of the paw (yadh) of the lion, and out of the paw (yadh) of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand (yadh) of this Philistine." The verb "to paw" (chaphar) is found in the description of the horse: "He paweth (margin "they paw") in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth out to meet the armed men (margin, "the weapons")" (Job 39:21). The word is usually translated "to delve into," "to pry into," "to explore."

H. L. E. Luering