: 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
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
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dewclaw.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Dewclaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dewclaw. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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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