forepaw

noun

fore·paw ˈfȯr-ˌpȯ

: the paw of a foreleg

Examples of forepaw in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Telefol say that this story explains why ground cuscuses have four digits on each forepaw. — Tim Flannery, The New York Review of Books, 3 Dec. 2020 Observers have even reported seeing domestic cats trap two cicadas at once, one under each forepaw. — Jillian Mock, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2021 Startled from its slumber, the tennis ball-sized silky anteater raises its forepaws defensively like a boxer. — James Hall, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2023 Nearly half involved active hunting by squirrels, who usually pounced on a target vole and restrained it with its forepaws and teeth. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 18 Dec. 2024 Indeed, researchers have found that raccoon forepaws are mapped onto their cerebral cortex – the outer layer of the brain – in a similar manner as human hands. — Kelly Lambert, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of forepaw was in 1782

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Browse Nearby Words

forepassed

forepaw

forepeak

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Forepaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forepaw. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

forepaw

noun

fore·paw -ˌpȯ

: the paw of a foreleg

Medical Definition

forepaw

noun

fore·paw -ˌpȯ

: the paw of a foreleg

forepaw

noun

Examples of forepaw in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

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