Learn Arabic › B2 › مِخْلَب
مِخْلَب
claw (of an animal or bird of prey) /ˈmɪx.læb/
nounB2#4246 most common
Also: talon, clutch (figurative, as in oppressive grip)
Example sentences
للقطة مخلب حاد.
The cat has a sharp claw.
مخلب النسر قوي جداً.
The eagle's talon is very strong.
استخدم الأسد مخلبه ليمسك بالفريسة.
The lion used its claw to grab the prey.
تركت مخالب الصقر أثراً عميقاً في يد الصياد.
The falcon's talons left a deep mark on the hunter's hand.
يُقال إن مخالب النمر يمكن أن تخترق جلد الفريسة بسهولة.
It is said that a tiger's claws can pierce prey's skin easily.
على الرغم من صغر حجمه، فإن مخلب هذا الطائر الجارح مصمم بدقة متناهية ليتمكن من الإمساك بفريسته وهي تحلق في الهواء.
Despite its small size, this bird of prey's talon is built with extreme precision, letting it seize its prey while flying.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | مِخْلَبٌ | مَخَالِبُ |
| Genitive | مِخْلَبٍ | مَخَالِبَ |
| Accusative | مِخْلَباً | مَخَالِبَ |
| Vocative | يَا مِخْلَبُ | يَا مَخَالِبُ |
Word family
مَخَالِبclaws, talons (plural)
خَلَبَto claw or snatch; also to captivate, beguile
خَلَّابcaptivating, beguiling, sometimes deceptive
خِلَابَةcaptivating charm, allure
Etymology
مِخْلَب comes from the Arabic root خ-ل-ب (kh-l-b), which carries the sense of clawing, snatching, or seizing. The same root gives خلّاب, meaning captivating or beguiling, since a charm that grips you is likened to a claw that grips prey. مِخْلَب itself follows the مِفْعَل pattern, which forms nouns naming the instrument used to do the root's action, so it literally names the tool of clawing.
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