Pawprints

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Impressions made on various surfaces by the feet of animals, often revealing their movements or presence
2. Marks left behind on the ground by the paws of creatures, especially domesticated ones, indicating where they have traveled
3. Tracks created by the paws of animals found on surfaces such as soil, snow, or mud

Etymology: "Pawprints" is the plural of "pawprint," a compound of two plain English words: "paw," the foot of an animal with claws, and "print," a mark left by pressing something onto a surface. The pairing is transparent, so the word needs little explaining. The mark is literally the impression a paw leaves, and the same logic built the older "footprint," which the compound follows closely.

Synonyms: tracks, footprints, traces, markings, imprints