claw
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: arts
biology
botany
graph-theory
hobbies
juggling
lifestyle
mathematics
natural-sciences
performing-arts
sciences
sports
Etymology: From Middle English clawe, from Old English clawu, from Proto-Germanic *klawō. Compare West Frisian klau, Dutch klauw, German Klaue, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish klo.
Inflected forms:
form: claws
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: claws
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: clawing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: clawed
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: clawed
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: A curved, pointed, horny projection on each digit of the foot of a mammal, reptile, or bird.
pos: noun
gloss: A foot equipped with such.
pos: noun
gloss: The pincer (chela) of a crustacean or other arthropod.
pos: noun
gloss: A mechanical device resembling a claw, used for gripping or lifting.
pos: noun
gloss: A human fingernail, particularly one extending well beyond the fingertip.
pos: noun
tags: colloquial
gloss: A slender appendage or process, formed like a claw, such as the base of petals of the pink.
pos: noun
examples: a narrow base, as the petals of a Rose, where the claw is very short
gloss: The act of catching a ball overhand.
pos: noun
gloss: A tree with one internal vertex and three leaves.
pos: noun
gloss: To scratch or to tear at.
pos: verb
examples: 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.
gloss: To use the claws to seize, to grip.
pos: verb
gloss: To use the claws to climb.
pos: verb
gloss: To perform a claw catch.
pos: verb
gloss: To move with one's fingertips.
pos: verb
examples: 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.
gloss: 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.
pos: verb
tags: obsolete
transitive
examples: 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.
To be ſhort, a wretched and curſed generation they be; hypocrites, pretending friendſhip, but they can not skill of plaine dealing and franke ſpeech. Rich men they claw, ſooth up and flatter: the poore they contemne and despiſe.
gloss: To rail at, revile, or scold (someone or something).
pos: verb
tags: obsolete
transitive
examples: 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.
gloss: To do (something) quickly.
pos: verb
tags: obsolete
transitive
examples: 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.
Derived words: bear claw
beclaw
cat-claw
catclaw
cat's claw
clawbed
claw clip
claw crane
clawer
clawfoot
clawfooted
claw frog
clawful
claw hammer
claw-hammer coat
clawhand
clawless
clawlike
claw machine
claw ring
claw sickness
clawsome
claw toe
claw tool
clawy
crab claw
declaw
Devil's claw
devil's claw
dew claw
foreclaw
get one's claws into
hind claw
lobster claw
longclaw
Ravenclaw
red in tooth and claw
tack claw
tiger's claw
toilet claw
tooth and claw
wolf's-claw
claw away
claw back
claw off
claw me, claw thee
Translations: