nail

1 of 2

noun

ˈnāl 

1

a

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

b

: a structure (such 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

nail

2 of 2

verb

nailed; nailing; nails

transitive verb

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

: to hit or strike in a forceful manner : whack sense 1a

nailed the ball

nailed him on the head with a rock

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

nailer noun

Synonyms

Verb

• hit
• knock
• slap
• smack
• punch
• bang
• slam
• strike
• clip
• whack
• clap
• bat
• pound
• swipe

Examples of nail in a Sentence

Noun

a hammer and some nails

I get my nails done at the beauty salon every other week.

a pair of nail clippers

Verb

Nail the picture to the wall.

All the doors were nailed shut.

He got nailed by his parents while trying to sneak out of the house.

He got nailed for not paying his taxes.

The FBI has nailed the hackers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The first is for lovers of the barely-there nail, driving trends like princess nails and the glass manicure. —Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 29 June 2025

Go to your customers — don’t wait for them When Urban Nail Box founder Rachel Dang opened her nail salon in 2017, it was tucked away on a corner with low street traffic. —Stephanie Grodin, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

Verb

Drape a denim jacket over top to nail that cool-girl look. —Michelle Rostamian, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Yet what this film really nails is the battalion camaraderie that goes beyond spending hours, days, weeks with the same folks and flips into something else entirely once shots are fired. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nail

• a nail in the/someone's coffin
• coffin nail
• eightpenny nail
• hit the nail on the head
• nail bed
• nail-biter
• nail down
• nail file
• nail polish
• nail varnish
• sixpenny nail
• tenpenny nail
• tooth and nail

Rhymes for nail

• ail
• ale
• bail
• baile
• dail
• fail
• flail
• frail
• gael
• gail
• grail
• hail

Kids Definition

nail

1 of 2 noun

ˈnā(ə)l 

1

: a horny covering at the end of the fingers and toes of human beings, apes, and monkeys

also : a similar structure (as a claw) in other animals

2

: a slender usually pointed fastener with a head designed to be pounded in

nail

2 of 2 verb

1

: to fasten with or as if with a nail

2

: catch entry 1 sense 1, trap

nail a thief

3

: to hit or strike in a forceful or accurate way

nailed the ball

4

: to complete successfully

nailed the dismount

5

: to settle, establish, or represent clearly and unmistakably

nail down all the details

nailer noun

Medical Definition

nail

noun

ˈnā(ə)l 

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