爪 zhǎo claw
claw; nails; talons
How it came to be
象形 · Pictogram
A drawing of the thing it means.
The oldest form is a hand reaching down from above to grab; it is a human hand, not a claw.
用法
- An animal's claw/talon/paw: 爪子 (zhuǎzi, colloquial) a paw/claw, 鸡爪 (jīzhǎo) chicken feet (food), 魔爪 (mózhǎo) evil clutches.
- 张牙舞爪 (zhāngyá-wǔzhǎo) means to bare fangs and brandish claws, i.e. to make a menacing show. Note readings: zhǎo (formal) vs zhuǎ (colloquial, 爪子).