Forepaw

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfɔː(ɹ)pɔː/

Definitions

1. The front limb of an animal, especially one that walks on four legs, utilized for mobility and handling objects
2. An animal's forward leg, primarily found in quadrupeds, that plays a role in movement and manipulating its surroundings
3. The front foot of an animal that walks on all fours, used for support and interaction with the environment

Etymology: Forepaw is about as plain as compounds get: the "fore" of "forepaw" is the same word as "fore" in "foremost" or "forehead," meaning the part that comes first or sits in front. Attached to "paw," it names the front limb of a four-legged animal, the one that reaches, grips and steadies while the hind legs push. The two parts have traveled separately for a long time. "Fore" descends from an Old English word that already carried the sense of "before" in space and time, and it shows up unchanged in phrases like "fore and aft." "Paw" is the older of the two in its own way: it was borrowed into Middle English from Anglo-Norman "poe," which is the source of the animal sense now attached to the word. Because the compound simply describes a position, its literal meaning has never drifted much. A forepaw is still the paw at the front, and the word applies whether the animal is a dog, a bear or a cat, with the same logic as "forelimb" or "forearm."

Synonyms: front paw, foreleg, paw, hand, claw

Antonyms: hind paw, back leg