Word of the Day
22 March 2026
cat's-paw
nounCarpentry
A small crowbar with a handle at a right angle to a blade with a V-shaped notch, principally used by carpenters to remove nails.
Why this one
Named for the curved claw at the business end. Its point is to be driven into the wood to get beneath a nail head sunk flush, which is exactly the case a flat pry bar cannot start on.
In use
Heads are all punched in on this trim, so bring the cat's-paw or you'll be chewing the face up with a wrecking bar.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.