claw
claw — 名詞
- clawsingular
- clawsplural
1. A thin, hard, sharply curved nail that grows from the end of the toe in many mam
爪子
動物腳趾端的尖銳彎曲角質
A thin, hard, sharply curved nail that grows from the end of the toe in many mammals, birds, and reptiles, helping the animal hold onto things, tear food, fight, or climb surfaces.
The cat stretched out its paw and dug its claws into the sofa cushion.
那隻貓伸出腳掌，把爪子嵌入沙發墊裡。
dig + possessive pronoun + claws into [surface]
Eagles use their sharp claws to catch fish from rivers and lakes.
老鷹用鋒利的爪子從河流和湖泊中抓魚。
use claws to [verb] — purpose construction
The bear's claws left deep grooves in the tree bark after it climbed up.
那隻熊爬上去之後，樹皮上留下了深深的爪痕。
Amelia held the iguana carefully so its claws would not scratch her arm.
Amelia 小心地抱著鬣蜥，以免牠的爪子刮傷她的手臂。
文法句型
usually plural
用法筆記
Often used in plural form since animals typically have multiple claws. The singular is used when referring to a single claw.
常見錯誤
2. Each of the paired front limbs of certain arthropods — especially crabs, lobster
螯
甲殼類動物前端的鉗狀附肢
Each of the paired front limbs of certain arthropods — especially crabs, lobsters, and scorpions — that forms a pincer-like shape and is used to seize food, defend against threats, and signal to other animals.
The lobster raised its claws when the diver came too close.
潛水員靠得太近時，那隻龍蝦舉起了牠的螯。
raise claws — defensive posture
Nora cracked open the crab claw with a small hammer to reach the meat inside.
Nora 用小錘子敲開蟹螯，取出裡面的肉。
Scorpions grab their prey with their front claws before stinging it.
蠍子先用前螯抓住獵物，再進行螫刺。
A hermit crab uses one claw to block the entrance of its shell when threatened.
受到威脅時，寄居蟹會用一隻螯擋住殼的入口。
文法句型
the claws of [animal]
用法筆記
For crustaceans, 'claw' is commonly used interchangeably with 'pincer', though 'claw' is more casual. In scientific contexts, the term 'chela' is preferred.
常見錯誤
3. A person's hand that has become permanently or temporarily bent and stiff in a w
爪狀手
因疾病或老化而彎曲變形的手
A person's hand that has become permanently or temporarily bent and stiff in a way that resembles the curved claw of an animal, typically resulting from illness, nerve damage, or old age.
The old woman's hands had curled into claws after years of arthritis.
那位老婦人的雙手因多年關節炎而蜷曲成爪狀。
curl/curl into a claw — shape-change metaphor
Tomás raised his claw of a hand and waved at the nurses.
Tomás 舉起爪狀手，向護理師們揮了揮。
The doctor examined the patient's clawed hand to see if the tendons were still working.
醫師檢查病人的爪狀手，以確認肌腱是否仍有功能。
When Tamar's hand cramped during the long exam, it looked like a small, pale claw.
Tamar 在漫長考試中手抽筋時，看起來就像一隻蒼白的小爪子。
- claw hand
the fixed medical term for this deformity
文法句型
like a claw
in a claw
用法筆記
This sense is almost always figurative and carries a somewhat negative or pitying tone. It is not a clinical medical term — the formal medical term is 'claw hand' or 'main en griffe'.
常見錯誤
4. A curved metal tip on a hand tool or piece of equipment — for example, a hammer,
爪鉤；爪
工具或機器末端的彎曲金屬部件
A curved metal tip on a hand tool or piece of equipment — for example, a hammer, a crane, or a robotic arm — that is modelled after an animal claw and serves to pull out nails, lift heavy items, or hold objects firmly.
Pedro used the claw of his hammer to pull bent nails from the old floorboards.
Pedro 用鐵鎚的爪端將彎曲的釘子從舊地板拔出。
claw of [tool] — partitive construction
The crane's metal claw lifted the wrecked car off the road after the accident.
起重機的金屬爪鉤吊起了事故後報廢的汽車。
Children stood watching the claw machine drop its prize back into the pile of toys.
孩子們站在一旁看著夾娃娃機的爪子把獎品又掉回玩具堆裡。
The robot's claw gripped the broken pipe and twisted it free from the wall.
機器人的爪鉤抓住破裂的水管，用力將其從牆上扭下來。
文法句型
the claw of [tool]
claw [noun]
用法筆記
In compound nouns, 'claw' often functions as an adjective-like modifier: 'claw hammer', 'claw machine' (also called a 'claw crane' in some regions).
claw — 動詞
- clawpresent simple I / you / we / they
- claws3rd person singular
- clawing-ing form
- clawedpast simple
1. To scratch, tear, pull, dig, or grab at something using the nails, claws, or han
抓；搔；扒
用指甲或爪子用力抓扒或挖掘
To scratch, tear, pull, dig, or grab at something using the nails, claws, or hands — often in a desperate or aggressive way, or to try to reach or hold onto something.
The terrified cat clawed at the screen door, trying to escape from the dog.
那隻嚇壞了的貓拚命抓紗門，想要逃離那條狗。
claw + at + object — desperate scratching
Hassan clawed through the pile of old photographs, looking for the one of his grandmother.
Hassan 拼命翻找那一疊舊照片，想找到祖母的那一張。
claw through [object] — digging/searching metaphor
The hikers clawed their way up the muddy slope, grasping at roots and rocks.
那些登山者抓著樹根和岩石，奮力爬上泥濘的斜坡。
Nora clawed frantically at the locked door until her fingernails broke.
Nora 瘋狂地抓著鎖住的門，直到指甲都斷了。
The dog had clawed a hole under the fence and escaped into the neighbour's yard.
那條狗在籬笆下挖了一個洞，逃到了鄰居家的院子裡。
文法句型
claw + at + object
claw + object + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
When used intransitively with 'at', the focus is on the action (scratching, grabbing) rather than the result. When used transitively with a direct object, it usually implies the object was damaged, moved, or created by the clawing.