talon Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a sharp hooked claw especially on a bird of prey

WordNet

Tal"on noun
Etymology
F., heel, spur, LL. talo, fr. L. talus the ankle, heel.
Definitions
  1. The claw of a predaceous bird or animal, especially the claw of a bird of prey. Bacon.
  2. (Zoöl.) One of certain small prominences on the hind part of the face of an elephant's tooth.
  3. (Arch.) A kind of molding, concave at the bottom and convex at the top; -- usually called an ogee. ✍ When the concave part is at the top, it is called an inverted talon.
  4. The shoulder of the bolt of a lock on which the key acts to shoot the bolt. Knight.

Webster 1913