Definitions
(noun)
claw; talon
(noun)
claw; talon; foot of cooking pot
Etymology
Pictograph of a hand or claw pointing downwards.
About
The character "爪" is a pictograph that originally depicted a hand with fingers or an animal's claw, serving as a direct representation of its meaning. Its structure has consistently featured strokes arranged to suggest the form of a grasping or piercing appendage. The primary meaning shifted from specifically denoting the claws of birds and beasts to encompassing human fingernails and toenails, while also developing verbal senses such as to scratch or to seize. In compound formations, it functions as a semantic component related to grasping or pointed instruments, contributing to terms like "爪牙" which extends its imagery to metaphorical agents.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
猫的爪子很锋利。
小狗用爪子挖洞。
鹰的爪子抓住了一条鱼。
他是那个犯罪集团的爪牙。
这只熊的爪子非常大。
猴子用爪子灵活地爬树。
猎豹的爪子帮助它快速奔跑。
在古代，龙爪是权力和力量的象征。