dewclaw

[ doo-klaw, dyoo- ]

/ ˈduˌklɔ, ˈdyu- /

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noun

a functionless claw of some dogs, not reaching the ground in walking.

an analogous false hoof of deer, hogs, etc.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of dewclaw

1570–80; dew + claw; cf. dewlap

OTHER WORDS FROM dewclaw

dewclawed, adjective

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

How to use dewclaw in a sentence

The Spire, like most fountains, has the basics -- Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Brisk Iced Tea and SoBe Lifewater.
Font of Invention||September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cars in the cross alley are covered with a silver glaze of dew.
Stanley Booth on the Life and Hard Times of Blues Genius Furry Lewis|Stanley Booth|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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
Mary is fair as the morning dew— Cheeks of roses and ribbons of blue!
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
A present remedy of all is the speedy coming of a cloud, and a dew that meeteth it, by the heat that cometh, shall overpower it.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
The falling dew, and the howling wind raised him not from that bed of lonely despair.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
I ain't a gwine ter back daown naow; but I dew jest wish Jeff Hyer wuz along.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
Her beauty seemed fresh made; he thought of a wild rose washed by the dew and sparkling in the sunlight.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

British Dictionary definitions for dewclaw

dewclaw

/ (ˈdjuːˌklɔː) /

noun

a nonfunctional claw in dogs; the rudimentary first digit

an analogous rudimentary hoof in deer, goats, etc

Derived forms of dewclaw

dewclawed, adjective

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