talon

noun

tal·on | \ ˈta-lən

Definition of talon

1a : the claw of an animal and especially of a bird of prey

b : a finger or hand of a human being

2 : a part or object shaped like or suggestive of a heel or claw: such as

a : an ogee molding

b : the shoulder of the bolt of a lock on which the key acts to shoot the bolt

3a : cards laid aside in a pile in solitaire

b : stock sense 10c

Other Words from talon Example Sentences Learn More about talon

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Examples of talon in a Sentence

The hawk gripped the mouse in its talons.

Recent Examples on the Web

The eagle with a swastika under its talons was part of the stern of the German battleship Admiral Graf Spee that sank off Uruguay’s coast at the outset of World War II. — Washington Post, "Court tells Uruguay to sell Nazi eagle from battleship," 22 June 2019 The main tracks here are 4 to 8 inches long and clearly show three toes, each with a talon on the end. — David Lyon, BostonGlobe.com, "Making tracks: Walking in the footsteps of New England dinosaurs," 18 June 2019 And the latest trending talon look is perhaps the most confounding of all—chocolate nails. — Lauren Valenti, Marie Claire, "Edible Chocolate Nails Are Now a Thing—Because Not Biting Your Nails Wasn't Hard Enough Already," 6 Dec. 2016 Prior excavations amidst the human remains in the Cemetery of the Babies unearthed various items commonly associated with magic at the time: raven talons, toad bones, and bronze cauldrons filled with ash. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Fifth-century child’s skeleton shows evidence of “vampire burial”," 13 Oct. 2018 After all, when the two Top 40 fixtures first met last fall, Lopez pleaded to examine the hip-hop star’s signature razor-sharp talons up close. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "Jennifer Lopez’s Next-Level “Dinero” Manicure Is Worth a Double Take at the Billboard Music Awards," 21 May 2018 With a vole in its talons, the hand-sized bird perched on a branch outside a wooden box nailed to the tree. — Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, "During long summer days in Alaska, Boreal owls perform by daylight," 30 June 2018 Ebi says the eagle transferred the rabbit to its right talon and eventually let the fox go. — Christopher Brito, CBS News, "Epic tug-of-war between bald eagle and fox goes airborne," 23 May 2018 All three shows are big on female bonding and friendship while blasting the myth that women are always catty and are way too busy sharpening their talons to give a sister a hand. — Karla Peterson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Meet the heroines of this summer's Must-See #MeToo TV," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'talon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.