A sharp, hooked nail, as of a beast or bird. [1913 Webster]
The whole foot of an animal armed with hooked nails; the pinchers of a lobster, crab, etc. [1913 Webster]
Anything resembling the claw of an animal, as the curved and forked end of a hammer for drawing nails. [1913 Webster]
A slender appendage or process, formed like a claw, as the base of petals of the pink. Gray. [1913 Webster]

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, v. t. [AS. clawan. See Claw, n.].

To pull, tear, or scratch with, or as with, claws or nails. [1913 Webster]
To relieve from some uneasy sensation, as by scratching; to tickle; hence, to flatter; to court. [1913 Webster]
"Rich men they claw, soothe up, and flatter; the poor they contemn and despise." [1913 Webster]
To rail at; to scold. [1913 Webster]
"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." [1913 Webster]

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, v. i.

To scrape, scratch, or dig with a claw, or with the hand as a claw. W. D. Howells. [1913 Webster]

To claw off (Naut.), to turn to windward and beat, to prevent falling on a lee shore.

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

Claw, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a pointed horny nail on an animal's or bird's foot. b a foot armed with claws.
2 the pincers of a shellfish.
3 a device for grappling, holding, etc.
--v.
1 tr. & intr. scratch, maul, or pull (a person or thing) with claws.
2 tr. & intr. Sc. scratch gently.
3 intr. Naut. beat to windward.

Idiom

claw back
1 regain laboriously or gradually.
2 recover (money paid out) from another source (e.g. taxation).
claw-back n.
1 the act of clawing back.
2 money recovered in this way. claw-hammer a hammer with one side of the head forked for extracting nails.

Derivative

clawed adj. (also in comb.). clawer n. clawless adj.

Etymology

OE clawu, clawian

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THESAURUS

Claw

abduct, abrade, agonize, bark, blemish, bloody, break, burn, carry off, catch, chafe, check, chip, convulse, crack, craze, crucify, cut, excruciate, fracture, fray, frazzle, fret, gall, gash, grab, grapple, harrow, hurt, impale, incise, injure, kidnap, kill by inches, lacerate, lancinate, macerate, maim, make mincemeat of, martyr, martyrize, maul, mutilate, nail, pierce, puncture, punish, rack, rake, rend, rip, run, rupture, savage, scald, scarify, scorch, scotch, scrabble, scrape, scratch, scuff, shanghai, skin, slash, slit, sprain, stab, stick, strain, talon, tear, throttle, torment, torture, traumatize, wound, wrench, wring

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ROGET THESAURUS

Claw

Taking

VB take, catch, hook, nab, bag, sack, pocket, put into one's pocket, receive, accept, reap, crop, cull, pluck, gather, draw, appropriate, expropriate, impropriate, assume, possess oneself of, take possession of, commandeer, lay one's hands on, clap one's hands on, help oneself to, make free with, dip one's hands into, lay under contribution, intercept, scramble for, deprive of, take away, carry away, bear away, take off, carry off, bear off, adeem, abstract, hurry off with, run away with, abduct, steal, ravish, seize, pounce upon, spring upon, swoop to, swoop down upon, take by storm, take by assault, snatch, reave, snap up, nip up, whip up, catch up, kidnap, crimp, capture, lay violent hands on, get hold of, lay hold of, take hold of, catch hold of, lay fast hold of, take firm hold of, lay by the heels, take prisoner, fasten upon, grip, grapple, embrace, gripe, clasp, grab, clutch, collar, throttle, take by the throat, claw, clinch, clench, make sure of, catch at, jump at, make a grab at, snap at, snatch at, reach, make a long arm, stretch forth one's hand, take from, take away from, disseize, deduct, retrench, dispossess, ease one of, snatch from one's grasp, tear from, tear away from, wrench from, wrest from, wring from, extort, deprive of, bereave, disinherit, cut off with a shilling, oust, divest, levy, distrain, confiscate, sequester, sequestrate, accroach, usurp, despoil, strip, fleece, shear, displume, impoverish, eat out of house and home, drain, drain to the dregs, gut, dry, exhaust, swallow up, absorb, draw off, suck the blood of, suck like a leech, retake, resume, recover.

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