: a vestigial digit not reaching to the ground on the foot of a mammal
also
: a claw or hoof terminating such a digit see cow illustration
Examples of dewclaw in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Again, Winnie being a little Carrie Bradshaw didn't struggle enough for dewclaw injury to be a concern.
—
Ayrika L Whitney, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Their dewclaws are higher on their legs and are less likely to show up than a deer’s dewclaws.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 7 Feb. 2024
Yeah, one of my cats has double dewclaws.
—Wired Staff, WIRED, 16 Feb. 2023
Long nails can catch on upholstery and tear the dewclaw partly off the leg.
—Kim Campbell Thornton, Star Tribune, 19 Mar. 2021
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Ayrika L Whitney, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Their dewclaws are higher on their legs and are less likely to show up than a deer’s dewclaws.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 7 Feb. 2024
Yeah, one of my cats has double dewclaws.
—Wired Staff, WIRED, 16 Feb. 2023
Long nails can catch on upholstery and tear the dewclaw partly off the leg.
—Kim Campbell Thornton, Star Tribune, 19 Mar. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Dewclaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dewclaw. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
dewclaw
noun
dew·claw
ˈd(y)ü-ˌklȯ 
: a vestigial digit not reaching to the ground on the foot of a mammal
also
: a claw or hoof terminating such a digit
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