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Meaning & use

talon

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈtælən/
US/ˈtælən/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A sharp, hooked claw on the foot of a bird that hunts other animals.

    Grammar: Countable: one talon, two talons; often used in the plural when talking about a bird's feet.

    Patterns

    • a bird's talons
    • sharp talons
    • sink its talons into something

    The owl's talons closed around the branch as it landed.

    You could see the eagle's long talons curled under its body.

    The hawk uses its talons to hold prey while it eats.

  2. nouncountableliterary

    A long, curved fingernail or claw, especially on an animal or in stories about monsters.

    Grammar: Countable; this sense is less common and often sounds literary or figurative.

    Patterns

    • long talons
    • dig its talons into something

    In the legend, the dragon's talons tore through the knight's shield.

    The creature reached out with bony talons.

  3. nouncountablefigurative

    A firm, controlling hold on someone or something, used figuratively.

    Grammar: Countable and usually plural in this figurative use: in someone's talons.

    Patterns

    • in someone's talons
    • get someone in its talons

    The company soon had the small rival in its talons.

    Debt had him in its talons before he was thirty.

Word forms

pluraltalons

Common combinations

sharp talons
The falcon has very sharp talons for gripping its food.
sink its talons into something
The eagle sank its talons into the fish and lifted it clear of the water.
a bird's talons
A bird's talons are its main weapon when it hunts.
curved talons
Curved talons help the bird keep a tight hold on slippery prey.
in its talons
The mouse was held tight in the owl's talons.

Synonyms and how they differ

claw
Claw is the general word for the hard, pointed nail of many animals, including cats and bears, while talon is used mainly for hunting birds.
nail
Nail refers to the flat plate on human fingers and toes, so it does not fit a bird's foot.

Word family

taloned adjective
Having talons, as in a taloned foot.

Commonly confused: talon or claw? talon or talon?

talon vs claw

Claw works for almost any animal with sharp nails, but talon is the natural choice for eagles, hawks, and owls.

talon vs talon

Not to be confused with 'talent' or 'tallinn'; the ending sounds like -lən, not -lent.

Practice

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