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patte

paw, leg (animal)

noun PAT Less Common

Also means

hand (informal)

Usage Note

Patte refers to an animal's paw, leg, or foot. Informally, it can also mean a person's hand, as in bas les pattes! ('hands off!'). À quatre pattes means 'on all fours'. Do not confuse with pâte (with a circumflex accent), which means 'dough' or 'pasta'.

Examples

"Le chien agite sa patte."

Natural Translation

The dog waves its paw.

Literal Translation

The dog shakes his paw

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