Claw /(kla̤)/

Claw

n.
  1. A sharp, hooked nail, as of a beast or bird.
  2. The whole foot of an animal armed with hooked nails; the pinchers of a lobster, crab, etc.
  3. Anything resembling the claw of an animal, as the curved and forked end of a hammer for drawing nails.
  4. A slender appendage or process, formed like a claw, as the base of petals of the pink. (Bot.)

Phrases & Compounds
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.
Claw sickness
foot rot, a disease affecting sheep.

Claw

v. t.

imp. & p. p. Clawed; p. pr. & vb. n. Clawing

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

Phrases & Compounds
Claw me, claw thee
stand by me and I will stand by you; -- an old proverb.
To claw away
to scold or revile.
To claw (one) on the back
to tickle; to express approbation.
To claw (one) on the gall
to find fault with; to vex.

Claw

v. i.
  1. To scrape, scratch, or dig with a claw, or with the hand as a claw.

Phrases & Compounds
To claw off
to turn to windward and beat, to prevent falling on a lee shore.