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claw

Pronunciation: /klɔ/

The English word “claw” has 16 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. A curved, pointed, horny projection on each digit of the foot of a mammal, reptile, or bird.
  2. A foot equipped with such.
  3. The pincer (chela) of a crustacean or other arthropod.
  4. A mechanical device resembling a claw, used for gripping or lifting.
  5. A human fingernail, particularly one extending well beyond the fingertip.
  6. A slender appendage or process, formed like a claw, such as the base of petals of the pink.
  7. The act of catching a ball overhand.
  8. A tree with one internal vertex and three leaves.

verb

  1. To scratch or to tear at.
  2. To use the claws to seize, to grip.
  3. To use the claws to climb.
  4. To perform a claw catch.
  5. To move with one's fingertips.
  6. To relieve an uneasy feeling, such as an itch, by scratching (someone or something); hence (figuratively), to flatter or humour (someone); to court, to fawn on.
  7. To rail at, revile, or scold (someone or something).
  8. To do (something) quickly.

Etymology

From Middle English clawe, from Old English clawu, from Proto-Germanic *klawō. Compare West Frisian klau, Dutch klauw, German Klaue, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish klo.

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.