What is meant by "tooth and claw"?

This phrase comes from "In Memoriam" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The full phrase is "Nature red in tooth and claw" = untamed nature which is inherently violent.

Who trusted *** was love indeed
And love Creation's final law
Tho' Nature, red in tooth and claw
With ravine, shriek'd against his creed

"red in tooth and claw"

Many wild animals are predators. They live by killing and eating other animals. They use their sharp teeth and their sharp claws to attack and to eat. In this way they get blood (which is red) on their teeth and on their claws.

CJ

Hi,

Here's a typical usage example.

Tom is fighting tooth and claw to save his business from bankruptcy.

This means he is struggling as hard as he can, making every possible effort that he can, using every method that is available to him.

Best wishes, Clive

Hmm. That's interesting. I always say tooth and nail in that context!

CJ

It is a phrase which is generally used to refer the context like voilent natural world,in which predatory animals unsentimentally cover their teeth and claws with the blood of their preys as they kill and devour them.

The actual phrase is "Red in Tooth and claw" .

people believe like the context was actually come from the Bible /Shakespeare's books

A related poem abt the

CalifJim- The poem refers to animals and so says "claw" --in adapting/applying the phrase to man it was replaced by "nail"--as always if you can't make an animal act like a man [in reality-never] you must make the the man into an animal -or at least refer to him as if he were!

I agree with Jim, that at least in the U.S., tooth and nail is the common expression. I don't know if Tennyson's usage is the typical British expression, or just poetic, because claw rhymes with law. But, I would say someone was fighting tooth and nail to do whatever, and that is all I've ever heard. It's possible that Canada may share what may be the British version.

There definitely

AnonymousI would like to ask for the meaning of "tooth and claw", thank you!