pawe

Middle English

Alternative forms

• pauwe, powe

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman poe, poue. First attested in c. 1330. Last attested in the form powe in the early 15th century. The form pawe was perhaps favoured by analogy with clawe; cf. sense 2 below. Compare jowe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpau̯(ə)/, /ˈpɔu̯(ə)/

Noun

pawe (plural pawes)

1. paw (foot of an animal)
2. (rare) claw, talon
3. (rare) harsh (human) hand

Descendants

• English: paw
• Scots: paw

References

• “paue, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.