claw off

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

claw off (third-person singular simple present claws off, present participle clawing off, simple past and past participle clawed off)

1. (transitive, literally) To remove by clawing.

   The tiger clawed off her face.

2. (nautical, intransitive) To beat to windward to avoid being driven on to a lee shore.
3. (dated, slang, transitive) To hit or beat up (someone).