declaw

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

Verb

  1. To surgically remove the claws of (an animal); to perform onychectomy on.
    • On Oct. 9, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that bans cats from being declawed statewide. Veterinarians can no longer declaw cats even if an owner wants the procedure to be done. - 2025 October 20, Kai Arellano, “New...
  2. 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. - 2016 January 25, “Why Arabs would regret a toothless Chinese dragon”, in The...

Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h₁ Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- English claw English declaw From de- + claw.

Forms

declaws declawing declawed

Related

declawing