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Showing results for dewclaw. Search instead for dew--claw.

dewclaw

American  
[doo-klaw, dyoo-] / ˈduˌklɔ, ˈdyu- /

noun

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

  2. an analogous false hoof of deer, hogs, etc.

dewclaw British  
/ ˈdjuːˌklɔː /

noun

  1. a nonfunctional claw in dogs; the rudimentary first digit

  2. an analogous rudimentary hoof in deer, goats, etc

"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

Other Word Forms

  • dewclawed adjective

Etymology

Origin of dewclaw

1570–80; dew + claw; dewlap

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The leaders, unlike those of other societies, did not carry flat sticks, but had reddened dewclaw rattles, the dewclaws being attached to the handle of the rawhide sphere.

From Societies of the Kiowas by Lowie, Robert H

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.