talon

noun

tal·​on ˈta-lən 

1

a

: 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

3

a

: cards laid aside in a pile in solitaire

b

: stock sense 5c

taloned

ˈta-lənd 

adjective

Examples of talon in a Sentence

The hawk gripped the mouse in its talons.

Recent Examples on the Web

The colorful bird seemed annoyed, tightening its talons on the window frame and glaring at Gallucci. —Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 16 May 2025

Video footage captured by Kerr Will shows the two eagles with their talons interlocked in Kodiak, while his dog barks at the birds. —Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025

Those talons are going to perforate a colon with a swiftness, and no one wants to go to the emergency room with a gel tip stuck in the rectum. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 22 July 2024

Eagle beaks and talons are made of keratin, a strong type of protein that helps form skin, hair, and other outer layers of skin on a variety of animals. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 10 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English taloun heel, hind claw of a bird of prey, from Anglo-French talun, from Vulgar Latin *talon-, *talo, from Latin talus ankle, anklebone

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for talon

• alan
• ballon
• gallon
• concanavalin
• enkephalin
• trifluralin

Kids Definition

talon

noun

tal·​on ˈtal-ən 

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

Medical Definition

talon

noun

tal·​on ˈtal-ən 

: the crushing region of the crown of an upper molar