claw

CEFRB2

/klɔ/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A sharp curved nail on the foot of an animal or bird.

  2. 02

    verb

    To scratch or pull at something with sharp nails.

Examples

  • "I cannot claw my owner", said the cat.

  • The cat has just stuck its claw in my arm.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A foot equipped with such.

  2. The pincer (chela) of a crustacean or other arthropod.

  3. A curved, pointed, horny projection on each digit of the foot of a mammal, reptile, or bird.

More examples

In context

  • Don't let him claw you.

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

  • 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.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The hungry cat extended its sharp blank to catch the mouse.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

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.