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Webster 1913 Edition

Claw

Claw

(kla̤)
,
Noun.
[AS.
clawu
,
clā
,
cleó
; akin to D.
klaauw
, G.
klaue
, Icel.
klō
, Sw. & Dan.
klo
, and perh. to E.
clew
.]
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.
Gray.
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.
[Slang]
–
Claw sickness
,
foot rot, a disease affecting sheep.

Claw

(kla̤)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Clawed
(kla̤d)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Clawing
.]
[AS.
clawan
. See
Claw
,
Noun.
]
1.
To pull, tear, or scratch with, or as with, claws or nails.
2.
To relieve from some uneasy sensation, as by scratching; to tickle; hence, to flatter; to court.
[Obs.]
Rich men they
claw
, soothe up, and flatter; the poor they contemn and despise.
Holland.
3.
To rail at; to scold.
[Obs.]
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.
Tyndale.
–
To claw away
,
to scold or revile.
“The jade Fortune is to be clawed away for it, if you should lose it.”
L’Estrange.
–
To claw (one) on the back
,
to tickle; to express approbation.
(Obs.)
Chaucer.
–
To claw (one) on the gall
,
to find fault with; to vex.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.

Claw

,
Verb.
I.
To scrape, scratch, or dig with a claw, or with the hand as a claw.
“Clawing [in ash barrels] for bits of coal.”
W. D. Howells.
To claw off
(Naut.)
,
to turn to windward and beat, to prevent falling on a lee shore.

Webster 1828 Edition

Claw

CLAW

, n.
1.
The sharp hooked nail of a beast, bird or other animal.
Every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud--ye shall eat. Deut. 14.
His nails were grown like birds claws. Dan. 4.
2.
The whole foot of an animal armed with hooked nails.
3.
The hand, in contempt.

CLAW

, v.t.
1.
To pull, tear or scratch with the nails.
2.
To scratch or tear in general; to tickle.
3.
To flatter.
To claw off or away,
1.
To scold or rail at.
2.
In seamanship, to turn to windward and beat, to prevent falling on a lee shore.
3.
In vulgar language, to scratch away; to get off or escape.

Definition 2024

Claw

Claw

See also: claw

Navajo

Proper noun

Claw

  1. Alternative form of Clah

claw

claw

See also: Claw

English

Claw of the short-toed eagle, Circaetus gallicus

Noun

claw ‎(plural claws)

  1. A curved, pointed horny nail on each digit of the foot of a mammal, reptile, or bird.
  2. A foot equipped with such.
  3. The pincer (chela) of a crustacean or other arthropod.
  4. A mechanical device resembling a claw, used for gripping or lifting.
  5. (botany) A slender appendage or process, formed like a claw, such as the base of petals of the pink.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Gray to this entry?)
  6. (juggling, uncountable) The act of catching a ball overhand.
Derived terms
Translations
External links

Etymology 2

From Old English clawian, from clawu.

Verb

claw ‎(third-person singular simple present claws, present participle clawing, simple past and past participle clawed)

  1. To scratch or to tear at.
    • 2012 November 17, John Branch, “Snow Fall : The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek”, in New York Time:
      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. To use the claws to seize, to grip.
  3. To use the claws to climb.
  4. (juggling) To perform a claw catch.
  5. To move with one's fingertips.
    • 2011 October 15, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 1 - 1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport:
      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.
  6. (obsolete) To relieve uneasy feeling, such as an itch, by scratching; hence, to humor or flatter, to court someone.
    • 1599, Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare, Act 1 Scene 3
      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.
    • Holland
      Rich men they claw, soothe up, and flatter; the poor they contemn and despise.
  7. (obsolete) To rail at; to scold.
    • T. Fuller
      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.
Translations

Etymology

From Middle English clawe, from Old English clawu, from Proto-Germanic *klawō. Compare West Frisian klau, Dutch klauw, German Klaue, Danish klo.

Pronunciation

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