Meaning
paw, leg
- paw
- leg (of an animal)
In a sentence
Il cane ha alzato la zampa per salutare.
The dog raised its paw to say hello.
Il gatto ha una zampa bianca e una nera.
The cat has one white paw and one black one.
Hai visto la zampa del cavallo?
Did you see the horse's leg?
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| zampa | feminine · singular |
| zampe | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use zampa for animals; for humans use gamba, braccio, mano, or piede, even joking aside.
- For pets, zampa often sounds warmer and more affectionate than arto, which is technical or veterinary.
- In idioms, zampa can mean someone's meddling or influence, often negative: c'è la sua zampa.