pawing
Handling with hooves
Pawing is touching or handling in a clumsy, rough, or overly familiar way.
Animals paw when they scrape or strike with their feet: The horse was pawing at the ground.
With people, pawing suggests unwelcome groping or fondling: He kept pawing at her shoulder.
The word carries connotations of crudeness or inappropriate intimacy.
Searching by moving things
- diggingRemoving earth below
- siftingSeparating by particle size
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
- rootingActively cheering someone on
scrabbling · fumbling · groping · sorting · burrowing · scratching · uncovering · rifling
Searching by touch alone
- fondlingAffectionate tactile contact
- maulingViolent tearing attack
- grabbingTaking hold suddenly
- touchingEvoking gentle emotion
harassment · inappropriate · invasive · unwelcome · creepy · handsy · leering · violation
Searching by touch alone
- fumblingClumsy, uncoordinated handling
- grabbingTaking hold suddenly
- clutchingHolding tightly onto
- graspingGreedy for wealth
manhandling · mauling · handling · swiping · batting · flailing · awkward · rough
Animal gripping nails
- hoofHorny foot covering
- scratchSuperficial wound or mark
- digUnearth by shoveling
- pounceSudden attack leap
fur · track · grooming · swipe · knead · bat · tap · scrabble
rummaging
Searching by moving things
rooting · scrabbling · fumbling · groping · sorting · burrowing · scratching · uncovering · rifling · probing
groping
Searching by touch alone
touching · harassment · inappropriate · invasive · unwelcome · creepy · handsy · leering · violation · boundary
groping
Searching by touch alone
grasping · manhandling · mauling · handling · swiping · batting · flailing · awkward · rough · ungainly
claws
Animal gripping nails
pounce · fur · track · grooming · swipe · knead · bat · tap · scrabble · nuzzle
nuzzle
Gentle facial caress
caress · knead · purr · lap · nestle · burrow · warmth · fondness · gentleness · bonding
batting
Swinging at pitches
- swattingFraudulent emergency calls as harassment
- pouncingLeaping to attack
- rompingPlaying with energetic movement
frolicking · wrestling · tumbling · chasing · frisky · lively · antics · kitten · puppy · roughhousing
- animal behaviorsswimming, running, walking, jumping, flying
- animal signalsbody language, bird songs, tail wagging, mating calls, whale song
- pet behaviortail wagging, purring, kneading, growling, hissing
- Horse Problemscribbing, weaving, bucking, rearing, biting
- hound trainingrecall training, nose work, scenting, trailing, tracking
- roughhousingroughhouse, roughhousing, rough play, rough and tumble, horseplay