declaw

English

Etymology

From de- +‎ claw.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /diːˈklɔː/

Verb

declaw (third-person singular simple present declaws, present participle declawing, simple past and past participle declawed)

1. (transitive, veterinary medicine) To surgically remove the claws of (an animal); to perform onychectomy on.
2. (transitive, figuratively) To make harmless.
   • 2016 January 25, “Why Arabs would regret a toothless Chinese dragon”, in The National, retrieved 25 January 2016:

     If, when the moment arrives, China is unwilling to side with its allies, the Arabs will rapidly find a declawed Chinese dragon unwelcome.

Related terms

• declawing

Anagrams

• Caldew, clawed