nail

¹nail

noun \ˈnāl\

Definition of NAIL

1

a : a horny sheath protecting the upper end of each finger and toe of humans and most other primates

b : a structure (as a claw) that terminates a digit and corresponds to a nail

2

: a slender usually pointed and headed fastener designed to be pounded in

Examples of NAIL

1. a hammer and some nails
2. I get my nails done at the beauty salon every other week.
3. a pair of nail clippers

Origin of NAIL

Middle English, from Old English nægl; akin to Old High German nagal nail, fingernail, Latin unguis fingernail, toenail, claw, Greek onyx

First Known Use: before 12th century

Other Hardware Terms

adze, auger, awl, chock, ferrule, punch, tang

Rhymes with NAIL

ail, ale, bail, bale, Bâle, brail, braille, Braille, dale, fail, flail, frail, Gael, gale, Gale, grail, hail, hale, jail, kale, mail, male, pail, pale, quail, Quayle, rail, sail, sale, scale, shale, snail, stale, swale, tael, tail, taille, tale, trail, vail, vale, veil, wail, wale, whale, Yale

²nail

transitive verb

Definition of NAIL

1

: to fasten with or as if with a nail

2

: to fix in steady attention <nailed his eye on the crack>

3

a : catch, trap

b : to expose usually so as to discredit

c : to arrest or punish for an offense

4

a : strike, hit

b : to put out (a runner) in baseball

5

: to perform or complete perfectly or impressively <nailed a jump shot>

6

: to gain or win decisively —often used with down <nail down their consent>

7

: to settle, establish, or represent clearly and unmistakably —often used with down

8

usually vulgar : to copulate with

— nail·er noun

Examples of NAIL

1. Nail the picture to the wall.
2. All the doors were nailed shut.
3. He got nailed by his parents while trying to sneak out of the house.
4. He got nailed for not paying his taxes.
5. The FBI has nailed the hackers.

First Known Use of NAIL

before 12th century

Related to NAIL

Synonyms

bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, knock, hit, paste, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, swipe, tag, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, zap

Antonyms

camouflage, cloak, disguise, mask

Related Words

batter, beat, buffet, bung, chop, cuff, drub, lace, lambaste (or lambast), lick, mangle, maul, pelt, pepper, pommel, pummel, rough; scuff; bunt, flick, stroke, tap; bump, butt, jab, jostle, kick, knee, poke, prod, push, shove, stamp; bowl (down or over), cream, deck, dump [slang], fell, floor, knock down, level; rabbit-punch, sucker punch; cane, club, cudgel, flail, flog, lash, sap, slash, sledge, sledgehammer, spear, stab, switch, thrash, whip; bean, brain, conk, skull

Near Antonyms

confuse, muddle, muddy, unsettle

Other Building Terms

batten, cistern, hearth, lath, transom, wainscot

nail

noun \ˈnā(ə)l\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of NAIL

1

: a horny sheath of thickened and condensed epithelial stratum lucidum that grows out from a vascular matrix of dermis and protects the upper surface of the end of each finger and toe of humans and most other primates and that is strictly homologous with the hoof or claw of other mammals from which it differs chiefly in shape and size—called also nail plate

2

: a structure (as a claw) that terminates a digit and corresponds to a nail

3

: a rod (as of metal) used to fix the parts of a broken bone in normal relation <a medullary nail>