claw

[ klaw ]

/ klɔ /

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See synonyms for: claw / clawing / claws on Thesaurus.com

noun

a sharp, usually curved, nail on the foot of an animal, as on a cat, dog, or bird.

a similar curved process at the end of the leg of an insect.

the pincerlike extremity of specific limbs of certain arthropods: lobster claws.

any part or thing resembling a claw, as the cleft end of the head of a hammer.

Typography. the hooklike projection from the right side of an r or from the bowl of a g.

(in a motion-picture mechanism) a device having one or two teeth that hook into the perforations of a length of film and move it one frame at a time at any given speed.

Jewelry. one of a group of slender, tapering metal projections rising from the base of a jewelry setting, used to hold a transparent or faceted gemstone in position.Compare prong (def. 4).

verb (used with object)

to tear, scratch, seize, pull, etc., with or as if with claws: The kitten clawed my sweater to shreds.

to make by or as if by scratching, digging, etc., with hands or claws: to claw a hole in the earth.

to proceed by or as if by using the hands: He clawed his way through the crowd.

verb (used without object)

to scratch, tear, or dig with or as if with claws: The cat clawed and hissed in fear.

to make fumbling motions: He clawed at the door. She clawed for the light switch.

Scot. to scratch gently, as to relieve itching.

Verb Phrases

claw back. See entry at clawback.

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Origin of claw

First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English clawu; cognate with Old High German chlō(a), akin to Dutch klauw, German Klaue; (verb) Middle English clawen, Old English claw(i)an, derivative of clawu (noun); akin to Dutch klauwen, German klauen

OTHER WORDS FROM claw

clawer, nounclawless, adjectivede·claw, verb (used with object)

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH claw

clause, claws

Words nearby claw

clavier, claviform, Clavius, clavola, clavus, claw, claw-and-ball foot, clawback, claw bar, clawed, claw foot

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use claw in a sentence

Try not to use a towel for this, as bats’ tiny claws can get caught in the fabric’s loops.
How to escort a bat out of your home|John Kennedy|August 12, 2021|Popular-Science
At first glance, it appeared to be the scene of a classically gruesome bear mauling—gnashing jaws, torn flesh, crushed bones, the grim outcome of pitting fist against claw.
It’s No Fun to Wake a Sleeping Bear|jversteegh|August 11, 2021|Outside Online
I curled my hand into a cat’s claw and looked, unsure what I was looking for.
I want my daughter to live unapologetically in a world free of gender expectations, including mine|E.J. Levy|May 14, 2021|Washington Post
Some have killer claws or jaws, some have camouflage, some taste bad or spew poison.
What is Brood X? When do cicadas come out in 2021? Answering your buggiest questions.|Bonnie Berkowitz, Artur Galocha|April 1, 2021|Washington Post

It’s apparent in the claw back from a 4-9 start to conference play.
Mark Turgeon’s Terrapins might not be great, but they sure are gritty|Barry Svrluga|March 11, 2021|Washington Post
My sisters Rosa and Liz called it “the claw,” lovingly at times, and at other times I was not so sure.
‘Tracing the Blue Light’: Read Chapter 1 of Eileen Cronin’s ‘Mermaid’|Eileen Cronin|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The dragon, now dangling by a claw from the edge of the sand tray, is on the cusp of defeat.
The Rise of Superhero Therapy: Comic Books as Psychological Treatment|Alex Suskind|February 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
My personal favorite—by which I mean least favorite—is the still-underrated phenomenon of selfie claw hand.
When Not to Take a Selfie|James Poulos|December 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Are we looking at some sort of formal discrimination – a Jim Claw system?
Less is Moo: The Genius of Gary Larson|Tom Doran|March 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Yes, the agency did try to claw back some of the money it gave out after Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, reports Michael Moynihan.
From Katrina To Sandy, FEMA Rumors and Failures Keep Swirling|Michael Moynihan|November 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In the middle of his singing he felt the cold touch of the Crab's claw on the apple of his throat.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
The woman holds in her claw-like hand a half-empty bottle of cheap red wine.
The Real Latin Quarter|F. Berkeley Smith
She laughed still more when the parrot took a piece of cake in his claw, and ate it, bit by bit, as nicely as she could herself.
The Nursery, December 1881, Vol. XXX|Various
Two of the fingers, or the thumb and finger had been enlarged or grafted into a bone-like semblance of a crab's claw.
Valley of the Croen|Lee Tarbell
A dying man raised one horrible crab claw to me, called out my name!
Valley of the Croen|Lee Tarbell

British Dictionary definitions for claw

claw

/ (klɔː) /

noun

a curved pointed horny process on the end of each digit in birds, some reptiles, and certain mammals

a corresponding structure in some invertebrates, such as the pincer of a crab

a part or member like a claw in function or appearance

botany the narrow basal part of certain petals and sepals

verb

to scrape, tear, or dig (something or someone) with claws, etc

(tr) to create by scratching as with clawsto claw an opening

Derived forms of claw

clawer, nounclawless, adjective

Word Origin for claw

Old English clawu; related to Old High German kluwi, Sanskrit glau- ball, sphere

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for claw

claw

[ klô ]

A sharp, curved nail at the end of a toe of a mammal, reptile, or bird.

A pincer, as of a lobster or crab, used for grasping.

claw

Origin of claw

OTHER WORDS FROM claw

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH claw

Words nearby claw

Words related to claw

How to use claw in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for claw

Derived forms of claw

Word Origin for claw

Scientific definitions for claw