Etimology
From Middle English claimen, borrowed from Old French clamer (“to call, name, send for”), from Latin clāmō, clāmāre (“to call, cry out”), from Proto-Italic *klāmāō, from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- (“to shout”), which is imitative. See also Lithuanian kalba (“language”), Old English hlōwan (“to low, make a noise like a cow”), Old High German halan (“to call”), Ancient Greek καλέω (kaléō, “to call, convoke”), κλέδον (klédon, “report, fame”), κέλαδος (kélados, “noise”), Middle Irish cailech (“cock”), Latin calō (“to call out, announce solemnly”), Sanskrit उषःकल (uṣaḥkala, “cock”, literally “dawn-calling”). Cognate with Spanish llamar and clamar.
noun
claim (plural claims)
A demand of ownership made for something.
The thing claimed.
The right or ground of demanding.
A new statement of something one believes to be the truth, usually when the statement has yet to be verified or without valid evidence provided.
A demand of ownership for previously unowned land.
(law) A legal demand for compensation or damages.
Examples
a claim of ownership
a claim of victory
You don't have any claim on my time, since I'm no longer your employee.
The company's share price dropped amid claims of accounting fraud.
The thing is, we've even had formal confirmation from Government itself that the crucial research required to make such sweeping claims hasn't been done!
Miners had to stake their claims during the gold rush.
verb
claim (third-person singular simple present claims, present participle claiming, simple past and past participle claimed)
To demand ownership of.
To state a new fact, typically without providing evidence to prove it is true.
To demand ownership or right to use for land.
(law) To demand compensation or damages through the courts.
(intransitive) To be entitled to anything; to deduce a right or title; to have a claim.
To cause the loss of.
To win as a prize in a sport or competition.
(obsolete) To proclaim.
(archaic) To call or name.
Examples
Jeffrey Chuang, an economics student at University College London, said: "I am for independence. I do not think China has any right to claim Taiwan. We have confidence in our country and we know that China is not capable of doing anything to us."
We must know how the first ruler, from whom any one claims, came by his authority, upon what ground any one has empire
The attacks claimed the lives of five people.
A fire claimed two homes.
He claimed $100 after winning the top spot.
Nor all, that else through all the world is named […] / Might like to this be clamed.