noun
spur; cockspur; calcar
Refers to the sharp, bony projection on the leg of a bird, especially a rooster or pheasant, used for fighting.
雄鶏の蹴爪はとても鋭い。
The rooster's spur is very sharp.
キジの蹴爪は闘争に使われる。
The pheasant's spur is used in fighting.
noun
fetlock
Rare usage; refers to the tuft of hair or the projection on the back of a horse's leg above the hoof. In modern contexts, 距 is more commonly used for the spur of a bird.
古い文献では、馬の蹴爪についての記述がある。
In old documents, there are descriptions of the horse's fetlock.
距骨 is the anatomical term for the talus bone in humans, while 蹴爪 refers to the external spur or fetlock in animals.
The kanji 蹴 (kick) and 爪 (claw) combine to suggest a claw used for kicking, fitting the meaning of a bird's spur. The reading けづめ is a native Japanese word (kun'yomi).