claw

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A sharp, curved, horny structure at the end of a toe of a mammal, reptile, or bird.
2. n. A chela or similar pincerlike structure on the end of a limb of a crustacean or other arthropod.
3. n. A limb terminating in such a structure.
4. n. Something, such as the cleft end of a hammerhead, that resembles a claw.
5. n. Botany The narrowed, stalklike basal part of certain petals or sepals.
6. v. To scratch, dig, tear, or pull with or as if with claws.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. . In zoöl.:
2. n. A sharp, hooked, horny end of the limb of a mammal, bird, reptile, or other animal; a pointed and especially a curved nail of a vertebrate, consisting of thickened and hardened epidermal tissue, like horn, borne usually on a bony basis or core; technically, an unguis, as distinguished from a hoof or ungula.
3. n. A sharp, hooked end of a limb of an animal, of whatever character.
4. n. The whole leg, foot, or other appendage of certain animals, terminating in a sharp hooked end or in a pincer-like extremity; a chela, cheliped, or chelicera, as in insects, arachnidans, crustaceans, etc. See cuts under chela, chelicera, and scorpion.
5. n. Some part of an animal resembling or likened to a claw.
6. n. 2. Figuratively, the human hand; hence, in the plural, grasp; clutch; hold: as, to get one's claws on a thing.
7. n. In mech., some part of a tool or tackle resembling a claw: as, the claw or cleft end of a hammer, used in drawing out nails; the claw of a crowbar; the claw of a grapnel.
8. n. In botany, the narrow base of a petal, especially when it is long, as in the pink and wallflower.
9. n. In locksmithing, a spur or talon which projects from a bolt or tumbler.
10. To tear, scratch, pull, or seize with or as if with claws or talons.
11. To scratch; relieve by or as if by scratching; scratch, as an itching part, with intent to relieve irritation.
12. 3. To fawn on.
13. To make or affect by the use of a claw or claws of some sort: as, to claw a hole in a carpet; to claw up a heap of dirt; to claw the leaves away.
14. To get rid of.
15. . Nautical, to beat to windward, in order to avoid falling on a lee shore or on another vessel: with off; hence, figuratively, to get off; escape: as, to claw off from, an embarrassing situation.
16. To fawn; flatter.

Wiktionary

1. n. A curved, pointed horny nail on each digit of the foot of a mammal, reptile, or bird.
2. n. A foot equipped with such.
3. n. The pincer of a crustacean or other arthropod.
4. n. A mechanical device resembling a claw, used for gripping or lifting.
5. n. juggling, uncountable The act of catching a ball overhand.
6. v. To scratch or to tear at.
7. v. To use the claws to seize, to grip.
8. v. To use the claws to climb.
9. v. juggling To perform a claw catch.
10. v. To move with one's fingertips.
11. v. obsolete To relieve uneasy feeling, such as an itch, by scratching; hence, to humor or flatter, to court someone.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A sharp, hooked nail, as of a beast or bird.
2. n. The whole foot of an animal armed with hooked nails; the pinchers of a lobster, crab, etc.
3. n. Anything resembling the claw of an animal, as the curved and forked end of a hammer for drawing nails.
4. n. (Bot.) A slender appendage or process, formed like a claw, as the base of petals of the pink.
5. v. To pull, tear, or scratch with, or as with, claws or nails.
6. v. obsolete To relieve from some uneasy sensation, as by scratching; to tickle; hence, to flatter; to court.
7. v. obsolete To rail at; to scold.
8. v. To scrape, scratch, or dig with a claw, or with the hand as a claw.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. move as if by clawing, seizing, or digging
2. n. a mechanical device that is curved or bent to suspend or hold or pull something
3. n. a bird's foot
4. n. sharp curved horny process on the toe of a bird or some mammals or reptiles
5. v. clutch as if in panic
6. n. a grasping structure on the limb of a crustacean or other arthropods
7. v. scratch, scrape, pull, or dig with claws or nails
8. v. attack as if with claws