lobster claw

noun

plural lobster claws

1

: the claw of a lobster

The razzle-dazzle is in the taste—the sweetness of a lobster claw with roasted asparagus …

—Caroline Bates

The east end of New York's Long Island juts into the Atlantic just off the Connecticut coastline like a giant lobster claw.

—Roger Morris

2

: something (such as a device) resembling a lobster claw in form or function

Hydraulic jacks level the structure on the seabed, the floor closes up, the lobster claws grip the pipe and align it …

—A. Alvarez

Each person on the course uses a harness. A rope with a "lobster claw" is hooked to a safety wire at all times.

—Algis J. Laukaitis

—sometimes used before another noun

Participants will create a crystal beaded anklet with sterling silver lobster claw clasp.

—Indianapolis (Indiana) Star

3

: any of several ornamental heliconias

especially : one (Heliconia rostrata) that has long hanging flower clusters bearing flowers enclosed in large bright red bracts tipped in yellow and green

One of the more controllable heliconias, the dwarf form of lobster claw has the right scale for small gardens while producing a classic pendant inflorescence in green, yellow and red.

—The Miami (Florida) Herald

: hanging lobster claw

Examples of lobster claw in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Endure Split Mitt from Swix successfully splits the difference, pairing up two fingers in a lobster claw design that adds warmth but still provides some dexterity to make adjustments to your gear while on the move. —Nathan Borchelt, Travel + Leisure, 8 Dec. 2023

The dish includes shrimp, calamari, mussels and lobster claw in a tomato sauce with ricotta pasta. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 6 May 2023

Trigger Mittens Also known as lobster claw mittens, these hybrid gloves combine the warmth of a mitten with the dexterity of a finger glove. —Déjà Leonard, Popular Mechanics, 17 Jan. 2023

Less successful are several works that feature an eccentric shape — a jagged curve, which the artist refers to as a lobster claw. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2022

Combined in an attempt to provide the best of both worlds, these mittens (also known as trigger mittens or lobster claw gloves) keep you warmer than a traditional glove and provide more freedom of movement than a classic mitten. —Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 5 Jan. 2023

That is until Luke’s Lobster’s lobster rolls arrived in 2009 – simple buns with a touch of mayo, a few spices and a quarter-pound of high-quality Maine lobster claw meat. —Cindy Augustine, CNN, 5 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

lobster claw

noun

lob·​ster claw ˈläb-stər-ˌklȯ 

: ectrodactyly that is marked by one or more missing or underdeveloped middle digits with cleaving of the hand or foot into two segments and syndactyly of the remaining digits