capper-clawing
Preserved but no longer current.
Female encounter, where caps are torn and nails freely used. Sometimes it is pronounced CLAPPER-CLAW. The word occurs in Shakspeare, Troilus and Cressida, act v. sc. 4.
Đấu tay giữa phụ nữ, nơi mũ bị rách và móng tay được sử dụng tự do
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “capper-clawing” mean?
Female encounter, where caps are torn and nails freely used. Sometimes it is pronounced CLAPPER-CLAW. The word occurs in Shakspeare, Troilus and Cressida, act v. sc. 4.
Is “capper-clawing” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.