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Claw

//klɔ// name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname from Navajo.
Noun
  1. 1
    A curved, pointed, horny projection on each digit of the foot of a mammal, reptile, or bird.
  2. 2
    a bird's foot wordnet
  3. 3
    A foot equipped with such.
  4. 4
    sharp curved horny process on the toe of a bird or some mammals or reptiles wordnet
  5. 5
    The pincer (chela) of a crustacean or other arthropod.
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  1. 6
    a grasping structure on the limb of a crustacean or other arthropods wordnet
  2. 7
    A mechanical device resembling a claw, used for gripping or lifting.
  3. 8
    a mechanical device that is curved or bent to suspend or hold or pull something wordnet
  4. 9
    A human fingernail, particularly one extending well beyond the fingertip. colloquial
  5. 10
    A slender appendage or process, formed like a claw, such as the base of petals of the pink.

    "a narrow base, as the petals of a Rose, where the claw is very short"

  6. 11
    The act of catching a ball overhand.
  7. 12
    A tree with one internal vertex and three leaves.
Verb
  1. 1
    To scratch or to tear at.

    "Using her hands like windshield wipers, she tried to flick snow away from her mouth. When she clawed at her chest and neck, the crumbs maddeningly slid back onto her face. She grew claustrophobic."

  2. 2
    attack as if with claws wordnet
  3. 3
    To use the claws to seize, to grip.
  4. 4
    clutch as if in panic wordnet
  5. 5
    To use the claws to climb.
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  1. 6
    scratch, scrape, pull, or dig with claws or nails wordnet
  2. 7
    To perform a claw catch.
  3. 8
    move as if by clawing, seizing, or digging wordnet
  4. 9
    To move with one's fingertips.

    "De Gea was United's hero again within seconds of Hernandez's equaliser, diving to his left to claw away Dirk Kuyt's shot as he got on the end of a superb cross from Stewart Downing."

  5. 10
    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. obsolete, transitive

    "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."

  6. 11
    To rail at, revile, or scold (someone or something). obsolete, transitive

    "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."

  7. 12
    To do (something) quickly. obsolete, transitive

    "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."

Etymology

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.

Etymology 2

From Middle English clawen, from Old English clawan, clāwan, *clēn, clawian, from Proto-Germanic *klawjaną.

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Navajo Claw, variant of Clah.

See also for "claw"

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