Beak vs Claw - What's the difference?

beak | claw |

As a noun beak

is anatomical uses .

As a verb beak

is strike with the beak.

As a proper noun claw is

beak

English

Noun

(en noun)

Anatomical uses .

# A rigid structure projecting from the front of a bird's face, used for pecking, grooming and for eating food.

# A similar structure forming the jaws of an octopus, turtle, etc.

# The long projecting sucking mouth of some insects and other invertebrates, as in the Hemiptera.

# The upper or projecting part of the shell, near the hinge of a bivalve.

# The prolongation of certain univalve shells containing the canal.

# (botany) Any process somewhat like the beak of a bird, terminating the fruit or other parts of a plant.

Figurative uses .

# Anything projecting or ending in a point like a beak, such as a promontory of land.

(Carew)

# (architecture) A continuous slight projection ending in an arris or narrow fillet; that part of a drip from which the water is thrown off.

# (farriery) A toe clip.

# (nautical) That part of a ship, before the forecastle, which is fastened to the stem, and supported by the main knee.

# (nautical) A beam, shod or at the end with a metal head or point, and projecting from the prow of an ancient galley, used as a ram to pierce the vessel of an enemy; a beakhead.

Colloquial uses .

# (slang) The human nose, especially one that is large and pointed.

# (slang, British) A justice of the peace, magistrate, headmaster or other person of authority.

He's up before the beak again tomorrow.

I clapp'd my peepers full of tears, and so the old beak set me free (I began to weep, and the judge set me free)

#* '>citation

Synonyms

* (sense, rigid structure projecting from a bird's face) bill * (human nose) honker, schnozzle

Derived terms

* beakish * wet one's beak

Verb

(en verb)

strike with the beak.

seize with the beak.

Anagrams

References

claw

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) clawe, from (etyl) clawu, from (etyl) . Compare West Frisian klau, Dutch klauw, German Klaue, Danish klo.

Noun

(en noun)

A curved, pointed horny nail on each digit of the foot of a mammal, reptile, or bird.

A foot equipped with such.

The pincer (chela) of a crustacean or other arthropod.

A mechanical device resembling a claw, used for gripping or lifting.

(botany) A slender appendage or process, formed like a claw, such as the base of petals of the pink.

(Gray)

(juggling, uncountable) The act of catching a ball overhand.

Derived terms

* claw hammer * get one's claws into

External links

* (wikipedia "claw")

Etymology 2

From (etyl) clawian, from clawu.

Verb

(en verb)

To scratch or to tear at.

* '>citation

Using her hands like windshield wipers, she tried to flick snow away from her mouth. When she clawed at her chest and neck, the crumbs maddeningly slid back onto her face. She grew claustrophobic.

To use the claws to seize, to grip.

To use the claws to climb.

(juggling) To perform a catch.

To move with one's fingertips.

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=October 15 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Liverpool 1 - 1 Man Utd , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=De Gea was United's hero again within seconds of Hernandez's equaliser, diving to his left to claw away Dirk Kuyt's shot as he got on the end of a superb cross from Stewart Downing.}}

(obsolete) To relieve uneasy feeling, such as an itch, by scratching; hence, to humor or flatter, to court someone.

* 1599 ,

I cannot hide what I am: I must be sad when I have cause, and smile at no man's jests; eat when I have stomach, and wait for no man's leisure; sleep when I am drowsy, and tend on no man's business; laugh when I am merry, and claw no man in his humour.

* Holland

Rich men they claw , soothe up, and flatter; the poor they contemn and despise.

(obsolete) To rail at; to scold.

* T. Fuller

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.