catclaw

[ kat-klaw ]
/ ˈkætˌklɔ /

noun

a prickly plant, Schrankia nutallii, of the legume family, native to the midwestern U.S. having pinnate leaves and tiny pink flowers forming a spherical cluster.
cat's-claw.

Origin of catclaw

cat + claw

Words nearby catclaw

catchwater drain, catchweed, catchweight, catchword, catchy, catclaw, catcon, cate, catechesis, catechetical, catechin

Definition for catclaw (2 of 2)

cat's-claw
[ kats-klaw ]
/ ˈkætsˌklɔ /

noun

a spiny shrub or small tree, Pithecellobium unguis-cati, of Central America, having greenish-yellow flowers and reddish, spirally twisted pods.
Also catclaw.
Also called blackbead.

Origin of cat's-claw

First recorded in 1750–60

Example sentences from the Web for catclaw

  • Dinsmore, his face in the catclaw, gave a smothered cry for help.

    Oh, You Tex! |William Macleod Raine

  • His face and hands were torn with catclaw, his knee bruised by a slip against a sharp jut of quartz.

    Crooked Trails and Straight |William MacLeod Raine

  • She gathered ironwood and catclaw while he watched her vigilantly.

    Crooked Trails and Straight |William MacLeod Raine

  • A little brown rabbit skipped around a bunch of catclaw and sat twitching his whiskers and looking humorously at Givens.

    Heart of the West |O. Henry