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claw

 - 5 dictionary results
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claw

  [klaw]
Use claw in a Sentence
–noun
1. a sharp, usually curved, nail on the foot of an animal, as on a cat, dog, or bird.
2. a similar curved process at the end of the leg of an insect.
3. the pincerlike extremity of specific limbs of certain arthropods: lobster claws.
4. any part or thing resembling a claw, as the cleft end of the head of a hammer.
5. Typography. the hooklike projection from the right side of an r or from the bowl of a g.
6. (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.
7. 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)
8. to tear, scratch, seize, pull, etc., with or as if with claws: The kitten clawed my sweater to shreds.
9. to make by or as if by scratching, digging, etc., with hands or claws: to claw a hole in the earth.
10. to proceed by or as if by using the hands: He clawed his way through the crowd.
–verb (used without object)
11. to scratch, tear, or dig with or as if with claws: The cat clawed and hissed in fear.
12. to make fumbling motions: He clawed at the door. She clawed for the light switch.
13. Scot. to scratch gently, as to relieve itching.
Origin:
bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE clawu; c. OHG chlō(a), akin to D klauw, G Klaue; (v.) ME clawen, OE claw(i)an, deriv. of clawu (n.); akin to D klauwen, G klauen

Related forms:
clawer, noun
clawless, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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claw   (klô)   
n.  

  1. A sharp, curved, horny structure at the end of a toe of a mammal, reptile, or bird.

    1. A chela or similar pincerlike structure on the end of a limb of a crustacean or other arthropod.

    2. A limb terminating in such a structure.

  3. Something, such as the cleft end of a hammerhead, that resembles a claw.

  4. Botany The narrowed, stalklike basal part of certain petals or sepals.

tr. & intr.v.   clawed, claw·ing, claws
To scratch, dig, tear, or pull with or as if with claws.

[Middle English clawe, from Old English clawu.]
clawed adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

claw 
O.E. clawu, from P.Gmc. *klawo, from PIE *g(e)l-eu- from base *gel- "to make round, clench." The verb is from O.E. clawian.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: claw
Pronunciation: 'klo
Function: noun
: a sharp usually slender and curved nail on the toe of an animal —clawed /'klod/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Encyclopedia

claw

narrow, arched structure that curves downward from the end of the digit in birds, reptiles, many mammals, and some amphibians. It is a hardened (keratinized) modification of the epidermis. Claws may be adapted for scratching, clutching, digging, or climbing. By analogy, the appendages of other lower animals are frequently called claws. The claw's shape is ordinarily suited to the food-getting habit of the animal. Eagles have long, curved talons for grasping prey; the claws of chickens are short and sturdy, for scratching the ground for food.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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