talon

American  

[tal-uhn] / ˈtæl ən /

noun

talons plural

1. a claw, especially of a bird of prey.

2. the shoulder on the bolt of a lock against which the key presses in sliding the bolt.

3. Cards. the cards left over after the deal; stock.

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talon British  

/ ˈtælən /

noun

1. a sharply hooked claw, esp of a bird of prey

2. anything resembling a bird's claw

3. the part of a lock that the key presses on when it is turned

4. cards the pile of cards left after the deal

5. architect another name for ogee

6. stock exchange a printed slip attached to some bearer bonds to enable the holder to apply for a new sheet of coupons

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talon Scientific  

/ tăl′ən /

1. One of the sharp, curved claws on a limb of a bird or other animal such as a lizard, used for seizing and tearing prey. Most talons are situated at the ends of digits.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• taloned
  adjective
• untaloned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• talons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of talon

1350–1400; Middle English taloun < Anglo-French; Old French talon < Vulgar Latin *tālōn-, stem of *tālō, for Latin tālus heel

Explanation

A talon is a large, hooked claw. Although talons are usually associated with eagles, hawks and other birds of prey, you can also use the word to describe the flesh-tearing claws or fingernails of raptors, werewolves or even enraged preschoolers. Talons typically belong to predators — the word implies bloody attack. An owl uses talons to stab and kill its prey. A chicken, however, uses claws to pick at its feathers and scratch around in the dirt. You can also pull talons into the conversation to be funny or sarcastic: “Hey! Get your talons off that piece of cake. It’s mine.”

Example Sentences

But the 49-year-old technocrat, who had rarely appeared in the media, was catapulted to the forefront of an election campaign as the anointed successor of President Patrice Talon.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Nearly eight million voters are eligible to cast ballots to choose a successor to Patrice Talon, who is stepping down after two five-year terms and has endorsed Wadagni as his successor.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

At least one online user said they were ticketed for parking an Eagle Talon sports car in a Stellantis lot, despite Eagle being a long-defunct nameplate from Chrysler, which too is now owned by Stellantis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

This time around, in Benin, the situation was quite different: Talon was still in full control, even if some would-be putschists were still resisting.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2025

Talon, an older Yellow with his hair woven into intricate dreadlocks, appeared first, followed by a wide-eyed Chubs.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken