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Newguest Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary

Claiming

Hi

I'd like to ask about the verb "claim" from the passage below:

Suppose that in a street accident you find that a man has severed an artery and the blood is spurting out. The normal course is that unless this bleeding is stopped the victim will die. Now, what is the spiritual attitude to take in such a case? Claim the ability of God to heal. If your faith is strong enough the severed artery will immediately be healed. But if your faith fails, you must take the usual steps to save the man’s life by immediately improvising a tourniquet, or whatever the proper procedure may be, still claiming divine aid.

--- Does "claim" mean here something like "acknowledge" or "demand", e.g. "demand divine aid" (2nd example)?
  

Top answer

"claim" has one of its usual meanings here though the spiritual context is more unusual than most others. If you "claim" something, you have the right to it, and you exercise that right with a request or some other way. A similar usage is when you win a prize in a competition.

  • "claim" has one of its usual meanings here though the spiritual context is more unusual than most others.
  • If you "claim" something, you have the right to it, and you exercise that right with a request or some other way.
  • A similar usage is when you win a prize in a competition.
  • g.
  • by phoning a number, sending a letter etc.
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1 Answers
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"claim" has one of its usual meanings here though the spiritual context is more unusual than most others.

If you "claim" something, you have the right to it, and you exercise that right with a request or some other way. A similar usage is when you win a prize in a competition. The organisers of the competition tell you that you have won and explain to you how to "claim" your prize e.g.

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