A talon is the claw of a bird of prey such as an eagle, hawk or owl. The word is usually plural: in its talons. It has nothing to do with coupons: a slip of paper for lunch or a discount is a voucher or coupon. And to see a doctor, you don't get a ticket: you make an appointment.
talon: will you get the meaning right?
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talons (usually plural); in its talons; sharp talons; an eagle's/hawk's/owl's + talons
- The eagle flew low over the lake and came back up with a fish in its talons.
- At the bird show, the owl held on to the trainer's glove with its sharp talons.
- Hawks catch mice with their talons, not with their beaks.
What changed
First versionThe company gives us talons for lunch in the canteen.
RevisionThe company gives us vouchers for lunch in the canteen.
In some languages, the word for a coupon looks like talon, so lunch talons seem natural. But to an English speaker, talons are a bird's claws, and the sentence sounds like “the company gives us claws for lunch”. A slip of paper you exchange for food or a discount is a voucher.
A cat's or dog's claws are claws; talons is used mainly about birds of prey: The cat scratched me with its claws. And for a doctor or dentist, you book an appointment: I've made an appointment with the dentist for Monday.
Your turn
At our company, everyone gets a lunch ___ for the canteen every day.
Show the answer
voucher — A slip you exchange for lunch in the canteen every day is a voucher. A talon is an eagle's or hawk's claw, and it has nothing to do with a canteen.
Describe a bird of prey you saw at a zoo, on a trip or in a film. Name the bird and say what it was holding in its talons.
In a documentary about Alaska, I watched a bald eagle fly over the river with a large salmon in its talons.
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