fingernail

noun

fin·​ger·​nail ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌnāl How to pronounce fingernail (audio)
ˌfiŋ-gər-ˈnāl
: the nail of a finger

Examples of fingernail in a Sentence

I trimmed and filed my fingernails. He had dirt under his fingernails.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Forensics find feces under the fingernail, suggesting it had been used in anal play before it was mailed. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026 State police later searched the area near the steel bridge and found among the piles of wood chips an envelope bearing the victim’s name, pieces of bone and tissue, a human fingernail and crowns to the victim’s teeth, prosecutors said. Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026 This time, my eyes slid to the fresh silver polish on her fingernails, her cascading perm thick but without any undergrowth, and those eyes darting from me to the cop, glistening as if on the verge of pouring. Literary Hub, 27 Mar. 2026 Built by a team at Wuhan University, the fingernail-sized device delivers extreme accuracy, losing just one second in 30,000 years. Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 19 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fingernail

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fingernail was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fingernail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fingernail. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

fingernail

noun
fin·​ger·​nail ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌnāl How to pronounce fingernail (audio)
ˌfiŋ-gər-ˈnā(ə)l
: the nail of a finger

Medical Definition

fingernail

noun
: the nail of a finger

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