catclaw

noun

cat·​claw ˈkat-ˌklȯ How to pronounce catclaw (audio)
: a yellow-flowered spiny acacia (Acacia greggi) of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico

Examples of catclaw in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web When done investigating the corral, backtrack to the road junction and follow the steep, rutted path up a catclaw-riddled ridge. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 3 Nov. 2021 On either side, what used to be cotton fields and cattle feedlots, and before that catclaw bushes and cactus scrub, has turned into suburban sprawl. Jeff Wheelwright, Discover Magazine, 17 Sep. 2012 The mountainous desert region is one highlighted by cactus flowers like the Strawberry Pitaya, the spiny ocotillo shrub, catclaw, desert marigolds, and the area’s namesake bluebonnets. J.d. Simkins, Sunset Magazine, 26 Apr. 2022 Dodging catclaw, cactus and a jump over a drainage outlet, the short walk around the tank’s perimeter unpacks rustlings of life, scat, feathers and impressions of a robust community that thrives in a who-knew refuge curiously close to road ruckus. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 24 Dec. 2021 The rocky but usually dry crossings are fringed with scrappy stands of scrub oak, willows and catclaw. Mare Czinar, azcentral, 12 Mar. 2020 That especially applies to the vegetation as anyone who has tangled with catclaw, backed into a tasajillo or hopped on one leg when a mesquite thorn poked all the way through a boot sole and punctured a foot will attest. Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catclaw.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of catclaw was in 1898

Dictionary Entries Near catclaw

Cite this Entry

“Catclaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catclaw. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

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