claw
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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See also: Claw
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English clawe, from Old English clawu, from Proto-Germanic *klawō. Compare West Frisian klau, Dutch klauw, German Klaue, Danish klo, Norwegian klo, and Swedish klo.
Noun
claw (plural claws)
- A curved, pointed horny nail on each digit of the foot of a mammal, reptile, or bird.
- A foot equipped with such.
- The pincer (chela) of a crustacean or other arthropod.
- A mechanical device resembling a claw, used for gripping or lifting.
- (colloquial) A human fingernail, particularly one extending well beyond the fingertip.
- (botany) A slender appendage or process, formed like a claw, such as the base of petals of the pink.
- 1857, Asa Gray, First Lessons in Botany and Vegetable Physiology:
- a narrow base, as the petals of a Rose, where the claw is very short
- (juggling) The act of catching a ball overhand.
- (graph theory) A tree with one internal vertex and three leaves.
Derived terms
- bear claw
- beclaw
- cat-claw
- catclaw
- cat's claw
- clawbed
- claw clip
- claw crane
- clawer
- clawfoot
- clawfooted
- claw frog
- clawful
- claw hammer
- claw-hammer coat
- clawhand
- clawless
- clawlike
- claw machine
- claw ring
- claw sickness
- clawsome
- claw toe
- claw tool
- clawy
- crab claw
- declaw
- Devil's claw
- devil's claw
- dew claw
- foreclaw
- get one's claws into
- hind claw
- lobster claw
- longclaw
- Ravenclaw
- red in tooth and claw
- tack claw
- tiger's claw
- toilet claw
- wolf's-claw
Translations
curved horny nail
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foot equipped with such
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pincer of a crustacean
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mechanical device for gripping
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Further reading
Etymology 2
From Middle English clawen, from Old English clawan, clāwan, *clēn, clawian, from Proto-Germanic *klawjaną.
Verb
claw (third-person singular simple present claws, present participle clawing, simple past and past participle clawed)
- To scratch or to tear at.
- To use the claws to seize, to grip.
- To use the claws to climb.
- (juggling) To perform a claw catch.
- To move with one's fingertips.
- (transitive, obsolete)
- 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.
- 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
- I cannot hide what I am: I must be sad when I have cause, and smile at no man's jests; eat when I have stomach, and wait for no man's leisure; sleep when I am drowsy, and tend on no man's business; laugh when I am merry, and claw no man in his humour.
- 1603, Plutarch, “Of the Novritvre and Edvcation of Children”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC, page 15:
- To be ſhort, a wretched and curſed generation they be; hypocrites, pretending friendſhip, but they can not skill of plaine dealing and franke ſpeech. Rich men they claw, ſooth up and flatter: the poore they contemne and despiſe.
- To rail at, revile, or scold (someone or something).
- 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
- In the aforesaid preamble, the king fairly claweth the great monasteries, wherein, saith he, religion, thanks be to God, is right well kept and observed; though he claweth them soon after in another acceptation.
- To do (something) quickly.
- 1667, Francisco de Quevedo Villegas, “The Sixth Vision of Hell”, in R[oger] L[’Estrange], transl., The Visions of Dom Francisco de Quevedo Villegas, […], London: […] H[enry] Herringman […], →OCLC, page 181:
- Do'n't you remember, Sirrah, ſayes one, hovv vve clavv'd it avvay at ſuch a Place! Yes, ye Damn'd Rogue you, cryes t'other, vvhen you vvere ſo drunk you took your Aunt for the Bavvd.
- 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.
Derived terms
Derived terms
Translations
scratch or tear at
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to use claws to seize, to grip
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Anagrams
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Noun
claw
- Alternative form of clawe
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