fingernail

noun

fin·​ger·​nail ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌnāl 

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

Before long, America will tell us all there is no blood beneath her fingernails, no bodies in the basement. —Jason Mott august 14, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025

According to the outlets, police alleged in the documents that the couple repeatedly slammed the girl's fingers in a door frame, crushing her hand and causing her fingernails to separate from her hand. —Sean Neumann, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025

This is worse than fingernails on a chalkboard to me. —R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 20 July 2025

Any other Countdown viewers dig their fingernails into an imaginary steering wheel when this second SUV followed his buddy into this left turn with zero regard for the oncoming white sedan?! —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 18 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fingernail

• abigail
• cottontail
• countervail
• martingale
• mesoscale
• microscale
• monorail
• nanoscale
• ponytail
• swallowtail
• wensleydale
• yellowtail

Kids Definition

fingernail

noun

fin·​ger·​nail ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌnāl 

ˌfiŋ-gər-ˈnā(ə)l

: the nail of a finger

Medical Definition

fingernail

noun

fin·​ger·​nail ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌnāl, ˌfiŋ-gər-ˈnā(ə)l 

: the nail of a finger