claw

See also: Claw

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /klɔː/
(US) IPA^(key): /klɔ/
(cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /klɑ/
Audio (US): (file)
Rhymes: -ɔː

Etymology 1

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

Noun

claw (plural claws)

A curved, pointed horny nail on each digit of the foot of a mammal, reptile, or bird.
A foot equipped with such.
The pincer (chela) of a crustacean or other arthropod.
A mechanical device resembling a claw, used for gripping or lifting.
(colloquial) A human fingernail, particularly one extending well beyond the fingertip.
(botany) A slender appendage or process, formed like a claw, such as the base of petals of the pink.
- 1857, Asa Gray, First Lessons in Botany and Vegetable Physiology:
  a narrow base, as the petals of a Rose, where the claw is very short
(juggling) The act of catching a ball overhand.

Derived terms

Translations

curved horny nail

Abaga: ag̶iŋkoʔai
Afrikaans: klou
Albanian: kthetër (sq) f
Arabic: مِخْلَب (ar) m (miḵlab)
Moroccan Arabic: مخلب m (maḵlab)
Armenian: ճանկ (hy) (čank), ճիրան (hy) (čiran), մագիլ (hy) (magil)
Assamese: নখ (nokh)
Azerbaijani: pəncə (az), caynaq (az), dırnaq (az)
Basque: atzapar
Bats: მჵაჲრი̆ (m'ayrĭ)
Belarusian: кіпцю́р m (kipcjúr), кі́пець m (kípjecʹ), пазу́р m (pazúr), ко́каць m (kókacʹ)
Bengali: নখর (bn) (nokhor), নখ (bn) (nokh)
Bulgarian: но́кът (bg) m (nókǎt)
Burmese: စွန်ကုပ် (my) (cwankup), လက်သည်း (my) (laksany:)
Buryat: һабар (habar)
Catalan: urpa (ca) f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 爪 (zh) (zhuǎ), 爪子 (zh) (zhǎozi)
Czech: dráp (cs) m
Danish: klo c
Dutch: klauw (nl) c
Egyptian:

(ꜥnt f)
Esperanto: ungego
Estonian: küünis
Faroese: klógv f
Finnish: kynsi (fi)
French: griffe (fr) f
Galician: uña (gl) f, garra f
Georgian: ჭანგი (č̣angi), ბრჭყალი (ka) (brč̣q̇ali), კლანჭი (ḳlanč̣i)
German: Klaue (de) f, Kralle (de) f
Greek: νύχι (el) n (nýchi)
Haitian Creole: grif
Hausa: akaifa (ha)
Hebrew: טוֹפֶר (he) m (tofer), טֹפֶר (he) m (tofer)
Hindi: पञ्जा (hi) m (pañjā), पंजा (hi) m (pañjā), खाँग (hi) m (khāṅg), नख (hi) m (nakh), चुंगल (hi) m (cuṅgal)
Hungarian: karom (hu), köröm (hu)
Icelandic: kló f
Indonesian: cakar (id)
Irish: crúb f
Italian: artiglio (it)
Japanese: 爪 (ja) (つめ, tsume)
Kazakh: тырнақ (kk) (tyrnaq)
Khmer: ក្រញាំ (km) (krɑñam), ក្រចក (km) (krɑcɑɑk)
Korean: 발톱 (ko) (baltop)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: چنگ (ckb) (çing), چرنووک (çirnûk)
Kyrgyz: тырмак (ky) (tırmak)
Lao: ເລັບ (lo) (lep)
Latin: unguis
Latvian: nags (lv) m
Lithuanian: nagas m
Luxembourgish: Klo f, Krall f
Macedonian: канџа f (kandža)
Malay: cakar (ms)
Maltese: granf m
Manchu: ᠣᡧᠣᡥᠣ (ošoho), ᠸᠠᠰᡳᡥᠠ (wasiha)
Maori: matimati (mi), matihao, matikuku, kotikara
Marathi: पंजा (pañjā)
Middle English: clawe, cle
Mongolian:
Cyrillic: савар (mn) (savar)
Nepali: पन्जा (panjā)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: klo m or f
Occitan: arpa (oc)
Old Church Slavonic:
Cyrillic: ногъть m (nogŭtĭ)
Old English: clawu f
Ottoman Turkish: چنك (çenk), پنچه (pençe), طرناق (tırnak), طرمیق (tırmık)
Papiamentu: pata
Persian: چَنْگال (fa) (čangâl), چَنْگ (fa) (čang)
Plautdietsch: Kleiw f
Polish: pazur (pl) m
Portuguese: garra (pt) f
Quechua: sillu
Romanian: gheară (ro) f
Russian: ко́готь (ru) m (kógotʹ)
Sanskrit: नख (sa) m or n (nakha)
Scottish Gaelic: ìne f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: ка̑нџа f, па̑нџа f, ча̏порак m чапорац m

Roman: kȃndža (sh) f, pȃndža (sh) f, čȁporak (sh) m, čaporac m
Slovak: dráp (sk) m
Slovene: krempelj (sl) m
Spanish: garra (es) f
Swahili: ukucha (sw)
Swedish: klo (sv) c
Tagalog: pangalmot
Tajik: чангол (tg) (čangol), чанг (tg) (čang), чангак (tg) (čangak)
Tatar: тырнак (tt) (tırnaq)
Telugu: గోరు (te) (gōru)
Thai: เล็บ (th) (lép), กรงเล็บ (th) (grong-lép)
Turkish: pençe (tr)
Turkmen: dyrnak
Ukrainian: кі́готь (uk) m (kíhotʹ)
Urdu: پَنْجہ m (panja)
Uyghur: تىرناق (tirnaq), پەنجە (penje)
Uzbek: tirnoq (uz), changal (uz)
Vietnamese: móng (vi), vuốt (vi)
Volapük: kluv (vo), kral (vo)
Welsh: crafanc f
West Frisian: klau (fy) c, kloer c
Yakut: тыҥырах (tıñıraq)
Yiddish: קרעל (krel)
Zulu: izipho class 5/6

foot equipped with such

Catalan: arpa (ca) f
Finnish: käpälä (fi); kynnet (fi) pl (of a bird)
Galician: gadoupa f
Georgian: please add this translation if you can
Hindi: पञ्जा (hi) m (pañjā), पंजा (hi) m (pañjā)
Irish: crág f
Latvian: ķetna f
Nepali: पन्जा (panjā)
Ottoman Turkish: پنچه (pençe)
Persian: پَنْجِه (fa) (panje)
Polish: szpon (pl) m
Russian: ла́па (ru) f (lápa)
Scottish Gaelic: spòg f
Spanish: zarpa (es) f

pincer of a crustacean

Arabic: كُلَّاب m (kullāb), كَلَّاب m (kallāb)
Armenian: չանչ (hy) (čʻančʻ)
Azerbaijani: qısqac (az)
Belarusian: клюшня́ f (kljušnjá)
Breton: meud (br) m
Bulgarian: щи́пка (bg) f (štípka)
Catalan: pinça (ca) f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 鉗／钳 (zh) (qián)
Czech: klepeto (cs) n
Danish: klosaks c
Dutch: schaar (nl) m or f
Esperanto: pinĉilo
Estonian: sõrg
Finnish: saksi (fi)
French: pince (fr) f
Georgian: მარწუხი (ka) (marc̣uxi)
German: Schere (de) f
Greek: δαγκάνα (el) f (dagkána), αρπάγη (el) f (arpági)
Hungarian: olló (hu)
Irish: crúb f, ordóg (ga) f
Italian: chela (it)
Japanese: はさみ (ja) (hasami)
Khmer: តង្កៀប (km) (tɑngkiəp)
Korean: 집게발 (jipgebal), 겸각(鉗脚) (gyeomgak)
Lao: ກ້າມ (lo) (kām)
Latvian: spīle f
Lithuanian: žnyplė f
Macedonian: штипка f (štipka), штипалка f (štipalka)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: klo m or f
Occitan: pinça (oc) f
Persian: چَنْگَک (fa) (čangak)
Polish: kleszcze (pl) pl, szczypce (pl) pl
Portuguese: puã (pt) f, tenaz (pt) f
Romanian: clește (ro) m, chelă f
Russian: клешня́ (ru) f (klešnjá)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: кле́шта f, клије́шта f

Roman: kléšta (sh) f, klijéšta (sh) f
Slovak: klepeto n
Slovene: klešče (sl) f pl
Spanish: pinza (es) f, tenaza (es) f
Swedish: klo (sv) c
Tajik: чустак (čustak), чангол (tg) (čangol)
Thai: ก้าม (th) (gâam)
Turkish: kıskaç (tr)
Ukrainian: клішня́ f (klišnjá)
Uzbek: changal (uz), panja (uz)
Welsh: bawd (cy) m or f

mechanical device for gripping

Catalan: garfi m
Chinese:
Mandarin: 鉗子／钳子 (zh) (qiánzi)
Danish: klo c
Finnish: leuka (fi)
French: pied-de-biche (fr) m (pieds-de-biche (fr) pl)
German: Greifer m
Irish: ladhar f
Italian: palanchino (it), piede di porco (it)
Maori: kotikara
Middle English: clawe, cle
Polish: kleszcze (pl) pl, szczypce (pl) pl
Portuguese: garra (pt) f
Romanian: clește (ro) m
Russian: тиски́ (ru) m pl (tiskí), захва́т (ru) m (zaxvát)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Albanian: ^{(please verify)} kthetër (sq) f
Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} ungo (eo)
Galician: ^{(please verify)} spòg
Georgian: ^{(please verify)} ჭანგი (č̣angi), ^{(please verify)} ბრჭყალი (ka) (brč̣q̇ali)
Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} טֹפֶר (he)
Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} cakar (id)
Italian: ^{(please verify)} artiglio (it), ^{(please verify)} unghia (it), ^{(please verify)} pinza (it), ^{(please verify)} zampa (it), ^{(please verify)} branca (it) f
Korean: ^{(please verify)} 발톱 (ko) (baltop)
Lithuanian: ^{(please verify)} nagas
Norwegian:
Bokmål: ^{(please verify)} kloa
Old English: ^{(please verify)} clawu, ^{(please verify)} clea
Romanian: ^{(please verify)} gheară (ro) f, ^{(please verify)} clește (ro)
Sardinian: ^{(please verify)} farrànca, ^{(please verify)} ungra, ^{(please verify)} ungredda f
Spanish: ^{(please verify)} garra (es) f
Swahili: ^{(please verify)} kucha (sw)
Turkish: ^{(please verify)} pençe (tr)
Ukrainian: ^{(please verify)} кі́готь (uk) (kíhotʹ)
Uyghur: ^{(please verify)} [script needed] (bemelchek)
Vietnamese: ^{(please verify)} vuốt (vi), ^{(please verify)} càng (vi)
Welsh: ^{(please verify)} crafanc, ^{(please verify)} ewin (cy)
Yiddish: ^{(please verify)} קרעל (krel)

Etymology 2

From Middle English clawen, from Old English clawan, clāwan, *clēn, clawian, from Proto-Germanic *klawjaną.

Verb

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

To scratch or to tear at.
- 2012, John Branch, “Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek”, in New York Times‎:
  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.
To use the claws to seize, to grip.
To use the claws to climb.
(juggling) To perform a claw catch.
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.
(transitive, obsolete)
1. 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.
  - 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
    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.
  - 1603, Plutarch, “Of the Novritvre and Edvcation of Children”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC, page 15:
    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.
2. To rail at, revile, or scold (someone or something).
  - 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC:
    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.
3. To do (something) quickly.
  - 1667, Francisco de Quevedo Villegas, “The Sixth Vision of Hell”, in R[oger] L[’Estrange], transl., The Visions of Dom Francisco de Quevedo Villegas, […], London: […] H[enry] Herringman […], →OCLC, page 181:
    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 terms

claw me, claw thee

Translations

scratch or tear at

Bulgarian: дращя (bg) (draštja)
Catalan: esgarrapar (ca)
Czech: drápat impf
Danish: kradse, rive (da), kradse
Dutch: klauwen (nl)
Estonian: küünistama
Finnish: kynsiä (fi), raapia (fi)
French: griffer (fr)
German: kratzen (de), zerkratzen (de)
Greek: νυχιάζω (el) (nychiázo)
Hindi: नोचना (hi) (nocnā)
Hungarian: karmol (hu)
Italian: raspare, graffiare (it), artigliare (it)
Maori: mamanga, taramamanga
Middle English: clawen
Norman: grimmer
Polish: drapać (pl)
Portuguese: unhar (pt)
Quechua: silluy
Romanian: zgâria (ro)
Russian: цара́пать (ru) (carápatʹ)
Scottish Gaelic: sgrìob
Slovak: driapať impf
Spanish: arañar (es)
Swedish: klösa (sv), riva (sv)

to use claws to seize, to grip

Catalan: garfir (ca)
Czech: drapnout (cs)
Danish: gribe
Finnish: ottaa kynsiinsä
French: s’agripper (fr)
German: klammern (de), krallen (de)
Italian: ghermire (it)
Maori: mamanga
Middle English: clawen
Ottoman Turkish: پنچه‌لمك (pençelemek)
Portuguese: agarrar (pt)
Russian: вцепи́ться когтя́ми (vcepítʹsja kogtjámi)
Spanish: agarrar (es)

use claws to climb

Czech: drápat se
Danish: slå en klo i
Finnish: kiivetä kynsiensä avulla
Italian: aggrapparsi

Anagrams

cawl

Noun

claw

Alternative form of clawe

claw

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Etymology 2

Verb

Derived terms

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

Noun

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Etymology 2

Verb

Derived terms

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

Noun

English

Middle English