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talon - 7 dictionary results
tal⋅on
[tal-uh
n] 
–noun
| 1. | a claw, esp. of a bird of prey. |
| 2. | the shoulder on the bolt of a lock against which the key presses in sliding the bolt. |
| 3. | Cards. the cards left over after the deal; stock. |
Origin:
1350–1400; ME taloun < AF; OF talon < VL *tālōn-, s. of *tālō, for L tālus heel
1350–1400; ME taloun < AF; OF talon < VL *tālōn-, s. of *tālō, for L tālus heel
Related forms:
taloned, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To talon
| tal·on (tāl'ən) n.
[Middle English taloun, from Old French talon, heel, from Vulgar Latin *tālō, tālōn-, from Latin tālus, ankle.] |
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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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Talon
Tal"on\, n. [F., heel, spur, LL. talo, fr. L. talus the ankle, heel.]1. The claw of a predaceous bird or animal, especially the claw of a bird of prey. --Bacon. 2. (Zo["o]l.) One of certain small prominences on the hind part of the face of an elephant's tooth. 3. (Arch.) A kind of molding, concave at the bottom and convex at the top; -- usually called an ogee. Note: When the concave part is at the top, it is called an inverted talon. 4. The shoulder of the bolt of a lock on which the key acts to shoot the bolt. --Knight.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : talon
Spanish:
garra,
German:
die Klaue,
Japanese:
つめ
talon
c.1400, talounz "claws of a bird or beast," probably originally from O.Fr. talon "heel or hinder part of the foot of a beast, or of a man, or of a shoe," from M.L. talonem "heel," from L. talus "ankle" (see talus (1)). "The extension to birds of prey, and subsequent stages, are peculiar to English" [OED].
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: tal·on
Pronunciation: 'tal-&n
Function: noun
: the crushing region of the crown of an upper molar
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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| talon (tāl'ən) Pronunciation Key
One of the sharp, curved claws on a limb of a bird or other animal such as a lizard, used for seizing and tearing prey. Most talons are situated at the ends of digits. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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talon
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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