declaw

verb
/diːˈklɔː/UK

Etymology

From de- + claw.

  1. inherited from *klawēn
  2. inherited from clawian
  3. inherited from *klawjaną
  4. inherited from *klauwjan
  5. inherited from clawan
  6. inherited from clawen
  7. prefixed as declaw — “de + claw

Definitions

  1. To surgically remove the claws of (an animal)

    To surgically remove the claws of (an animal); to perform onychectomy on.

  2. To make harmless

    To make harmless; to remove the power, authority, or force from.

    • The acerbic comedy has been declawed by the demands of network TV.
    • If, when the moment arrives, China is unwilling to side with its allies, the Arabs will rapidly find a declawed Chinese dragon unwelcome.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for declaw. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA