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Oct 25, 2007

This week's theme
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This week's words
famulus
caruncle
lexiphanes
dewclaw
nosism

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dewclaw

noun: A small claw not reaching the ground, on the foot of some animals.

[Origin uncertain, perhaps from the fact that other claws touch the ground, but a dewclaw only brushes the dew on the grass. A related term is dewlap, a loose fold of skin hanging under the neck of an animal such as a cow.]

"Dog lovers need to keep an eye on dewclaws and remember to keep the nails trimmed."
Gina Spadafori; Beware of Halloween Hazards for Animals; The Sacramento Bee (California); Oct 28, 2006.

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