Claw

Definition of Claw

Pronunciation: klạ

n.

1.

A sharp, hooked nail, as of a beast or bird.

2.

The whole foot of an animal armed with hooked nails; the pinchers of a lobster, crab, etc.

3.

Anything resembling the claw of an animal, as the curved and forked end of a hammer for drawing nails.

4.

(Bot.) A slender appendage or process, formed like a claw, as the base of petals of the pink.

Claw hammer
a hammer with one end of the metallic head cleft for use in extracting nails, etc.

Claw hammer coat
a dress coat of the swallowtail pattern.

Claw sickness
foot rot, a disease affecting sheep.

v. t.

1.

To pull, tear, or scratch with, or as with, claws or nails.

[imp. & p. p. Clawed (klạd); p. pr. & vb. n. Clawing.]

2.

To relieve from some uneasy sensation, as by scratching; to tickle; hence, to flatter; to court.

Rich men they claw, soothe up, and flatter; the poor they contemn and despise.

- Holland.

3.

To rail at; to scold.

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.

- T. Fuller

Claw me, claw thee
stand by me and I will stand by you; - an old proverb.

To claw away
to scold or revile. - Tyndale.

To claw (one) on the back
to tickle; to express approbation. - L'Estrange.

To claw (one) on the gall
to find fault with; to vex. - Chaucer.

v. i.

1.

To scrape, scratch, or dig with a claw, or with the hand as a claw.

To claw off
(Naut.) to turn to windward and beat, to prevent falling on a lee shore.

Related Words

abduct, abrade, agonize, bark, blemish, bloody, break, burn, carry off, catch, chafe, check, chip, convulse, crack, craze, crucify, cut, excruciate, fracture, fray, frazzle, fret, gall, gash, grab, grapple, harrow, hurt, impale, incise, injure, kidnap, kill by inches, lacerate, lancinate, macerate, maim, make mincemeat of, martyr, martyrize, maul, mutilate, pierce, puncture, punish, rack, rake, rend, rip, run, rupture, savage, scald, scarify, scorch, scotch, scrabble, scrape, scratch, scuff, shanghai, skin, slash, slit, sprain, stab, stick, strain, tear, throttle, torment, torture, traumatize, wound, wrench, wring

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Clavate
Clave
Clavecin
Clavel
Clavellate
Clavellated
Claver
Claviceps
Clavichord
Clavicle
Clavicorn
Clavicornes
Clavicular
Clavier
Claviform
Claviger
Clavigerous
Clavis
Clavus
Clavy
-Claw-
Claw hammer
Claw hammer coat
Claw me, claw thee
Claw sickness
Clawback
Clawed
Clawless
clawlike
claxon
Clay
Clay cold
Clay ironstone
Clay marl
Clay mill
Clay pit
Clay slate
Clay-brained
Clayes
Clayey
Clayish

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