claw

n. [ AS. clawu, clā, cleó; akin to D. klaauw, G. klaue, Icel. klō, Sw. & Dan. klo, and perh. to E. clew. ] 1. A sharp, hooked nail, as of a beast or bird. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The whole foot of an animal armed with hooked nails; the pinchers of a lobster, crab, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Anything resembling the claw of an animal, as the curved and forked end of a hammer for drawing nails. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Bot.) 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To scrape, scratch, or dig with a claw, or with the hand as a claw. “Clawing [ in ash barrels ] for bits of coal.” W. D. Howells. [ 1913 Webster ]

To claw off (Naut.), to turn to windward and beat, to prevent falling on a lee shore. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To flatter. [ Obs. ] Warner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Flattering; sycophantic. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Like a clawback parasite. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A flatterer or sycophant. [ Obs. ] “Take heed of these clawbacks.” Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Furnished with claws. N. Grew. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Destitute of claws. [ 1913 Webster ]