Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - talon

 noun  Etymology: Middle English taloun heel, hind claw of a bird of prey, from Anglo-French talun, from Vulgar Latin *~-, *talo, from Latin talus ankle, anklebone  Date: 15th century  1.  a. the claw of an animal and especially of a bird of prey  b. a finger or hand of a human being  2. a part or object shaped like or suggestive of a heel or claw: as  a. an ogee molding  b. the shoulder of the bolt of a lock on which the key acts to shoot the bolt  3.  a. cards laid aside in a pile in solitaire  b. stock 10c  • ~ed adjective