claw

American  

[klaw] / klɔ /

noun

• claws
  plural

1. a sharp, usually curved, nail on the foot of an animal, as on a cat, dog, or bird.

2. a similar curved process at the end of the leg of an insect.

3. the pincerlike extremity of specific limbs of certain arthropods.

   lobster claws.

4. any part or thing resembling a claw, as the cleft end of the head of a hammer.

5. Typography. the hooklike projection from the right side of an r or from the bowl of a g.

6. (in a motion-picture mechanism) a device having one or two teeth that hook into the perforations of a length of film and move it one frame at a time at any given speed.

7. Jewelry. one of a group of slender, tapering metal projections rising from the base of a jewelry setting, used to hold a transparent or faceted gemstone in position.

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verb (used with object)

• claws,
  present (3rd person singular)
• clawed,
  past participle,  past
• clawing
  present participle

1. to tear, scratch, seize, pull, etc., with or as if with claws.

   The kitten clawed my sweater to shreds.

2. to make by or as if by scratching, digging, etc., with hands or claws.

   to claw a hole in the earth.

3. to proceed by or as if by using the hands.

   He clawed his way through the crowd.

verb (used without object)

• claws,
  present (3rd person singular)
• clawed,
  past participle,  past
• clawing
  present participle

1. to scratch, tear, or dig with or as if with claws.

   The cat clawed and hissed in fear.

2. to make fumbling motions.

   He clawed at the door. She clawed for the light switch.

3. Scot. to scratch gently, as to relieve itching.

verb phrase

1. claw back. see clawback.

claw British  

/ klɔː /

noun

1. a curved pointed horny process on the end of each digit in birds, some reptiles, and certain mammals

2. a corresponding structure in some invertebrates, such as the pincer of a crab

3. a part or member like a claw in function or appearance

4. botany the narrow basal part of certain petals and sepals

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verb

1. to scrape, tear, or dig (something or someone) with claws, etc

2. (tr) to create by scratching as with claws

   to claw an opening

claw Scientific  

/ klô /

1. A sharp, curved nail at the end of a toe of a mammal, reptile, or bird.

2. A pincer, as of a lobster or crab, used for grasping.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• clawer
  noun
• declaw
  verb (used with object)
• clawless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• claws
  plural

Participles

• clawing
  present
• clawed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• claw
  simple
• claws
  simple
• have clawed
  perfect
• has clawed
  perfect
• am clawing
  progressive
• are clawing
  progressive
• is clawing
  progressive
• have been clawing
  perfect progressive
• has been clawing
  perfect progressive

Past

• clawed
  simple
• had clawed
  perfect
• was clawing
  progressive
• were clawing
  progressive
• had been clawing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will claw
  simple
• will have clawed
  perfect
• will be clawing
  progressive
• will have been clawing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of claw

First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English clawu; cognate with Old High German chlō(a), akin to Dutch klauw, German Klaue; (verb) Middle English clawen, Old English claw(i)an, derivative of clawu (noun); akin to Dutch klauwen, German klauen

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Explanation

The word claw is all about grabbing. It could be a lobster claw or even an ambitious worker clawing his way up the corporate ladder. As a noun, a claw is the pointy finger-like grabbers that birds, insects, and some lizards and mammals have. Machines can have claws too, and maybe you’ve seen the game at an arcade where you make a metal claw pick up a toy. Claw can be a verb as well, meaning to grab, scratch, or pull in a painful and jolting way. Should someone bury you up to your neck in a hole, you’ll have to claw your way out. And you can accidentally claw your date if you grab her arm during a scary movie.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

claw claws clawed clawing

Even more striking was its second toe, which could bend backward unusually far and carried a curved, sickle-shaped claw.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026

Cat’s claw has been promoted to treat osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, viral infections and other conditions, according to the integrative health center.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

As inflation weighs on Japanese households, huge arcades on the outskirts of major cities are installing claw machines filled with eggs, rice, laundry detergent and other necessities.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

It wasn’t ideology that made me want to claw the stubble off my own face.

From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2026

Uncoiling Shadow’s climbing rope, he bound Ragear paw and claw to a sturdy oak.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

It measured an impressive 86.6 millimeters, or approximately 3.4 inches, excluding its tail, claws, and antennae.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Megaraptorans were closely related to tyrannosaurs including Tyrannosaurus rex but had slender heads and attacked prey with their large arms and giant curved claws instead of their jaws.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

As the claws come out, so does a veritable pageant of secrets and lies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Designed by Adrian, the big cat has shoelace-style stitching running up his belly and detachable slippers tipped with sharp claws.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

“Marsupial infants need to have strong arms and claws to climb into their mother’s pouch. Bats have wings.”

From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold

However, South Africa clawed their way back to triumph - just as their director of rugby Rassie Erasmus had predicted.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Shares have clawed back earlier losses and are now down 8.4% at 130.40 pounds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

The Dodgers clawed back two runs in the seventh.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

SK Hynix and Samsung clawed back some of their recent losses in Asian trading.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

He used one of his clawed feet to mimic her hug, patting her awkwardly on the back.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

“They are clawing you to get away because, to them, that is a life-and-death situation.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Their grandmother, Rae, escaped from a Jewish ghetto in what was then the Polish city of Novogrudok by clawing her way through a tunnel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

In its place, Bessent said, America now has a “C economy,” in which lower wage earners are, in his telling, finally clawing their way back.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026

However, after clawing her way back to 5-4 from 5-1 down in the tie-break, Raducanu's resistance let up and Sierra secured victory after an hour and 45 minutes.

From BBC ● May 24, 2026

I’d been fighting the moment I left Thurmond, struggling against the restraints everyone wanted to wrap around me, kicking and clawing against the inevitable.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

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