1 talon | Definition of talon

talon

noun
tal·​on | \ ˈta-lÉ™n How to pronounce talon (audio) \

Definition of talon

1a : the claw of an animal and especially of a bird of prey
b : a finger or hand of a human being
2 : a part or object shaped like or suggestive of a heel or claw: such as
a : an ogee molding
b : the shoulder of the bolt of a lock on which the key acts to shoot the bolt
3a : cards laid aside in a pile in solitaire

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Other Words from talon

taloned \ ˈta-​lÉ™nd How to pronounce taloned (audio) \ adjective

Examples of talon in a Sentence

The hawk gripped the mouse in its talons.

Recent Examples on the Web

The eagle has a set of golf clubs in its talons instead of the traditional seal’s clutch of arrows. Reuters, The Mercury News, "Somebody screwed up: Fake seal displayed at Trump event," 25 July 2019 It was immediately accepted, and soon an olive branch and arrows (representing peace and war, respectively) were included in the eagle's talons. Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Our national symbol is a soaring conservation success story," 3 July 2019 But Fox warns that cornering or chasing the bird can trigger its defenses: sharp talons and a fierce jump. Scottie Andrew And Katherine Dillinger, CNN, "There's an emu on the loose in North Carolina, and nobody's been quick enough to catch it," 1 Aug. 2019 The real seal has a bald eagle clutching arrows in one set of talons and an olive branch in the other. NBC News, "Trump gave speech in front of hoax presidential seal," 25 July 2019 Instead of arrows and olives branches clutched in their talons, a closer look reveals two eagles holding a set of golf clubs on one side and a pile of cash on another. Christopher Brito, CBS News, "Trump stands in front of fake U.S. presidential seal that resembles Russian symbol," 25 July 2019 Its left talons, rather than clasping 13 arrows, appear to clutch a set of golf clubs. Reis Thebault, The Denver Post, "How Donald Trump ended up in front of a presidential seal doctored to include a Russian symbol," 25 July 2019 Beware the talons Command module pilot Mike Collins did most of the design work for the Apollo 11 insignia. Jamie Turner, cleveland.com, "11 things you might not know about Apollo 11 and the Space Race: Apollo 11 at 50," 17 July 2019 The feathers belonged to two bald eagles whose talons had become stuck together in a fight-to-the-death aerial battle over territory. Mary Divine, Twin Cities, "Dramatic eagle rescue in Marine on St. Croix," 8 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'talon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of talon

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for talon

Middle English taloun heel, hind claw of a bird of prey, from Anglo-French talun, from Vulgar Latin *talon-, *talo, from Latin talus ankle, anklebone

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More Definitions for talon

talon

noun

English Language Learners Definition of talon

: one of the sharp claws on the feet of some birds

talon

noun
tal·​on | \ ˈta-lÉ™n How to pronounce talon (audio) \

Kids Definition of talon

: the claw of a bird of prey

Other Words from talon

taloned \ -​É™nd \ adjective

talon

noun
tal·​on | \ ˈtal-É™n How to pronounce talon (audio) \

Medical Definition of talon

: the crushing region of the crown of an upper molar

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More from Merriam-Webster on talon

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with talon

Spanish Central: Translation of talon

Nglish: Translation of talon for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of talon for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about talon