nail

noun

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\ ˈnāl

Definition of nail

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

verb

nailed; nailing; nails

Definition of nail (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to fasten with or as if with a nail

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

3a : catch, trap

b : to expose usually so as to discredit

c : to arrest or punish for an offense

4a : 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 downnail down their consent

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

8 usually vulgar : to copulate with

Other Words from nail Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about nail

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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 Both coins—in addition to artifacts including an ancient Roman nail cleaner, a Viking brooch, and a gold half-crown coin minted toward the end of Henry VIII’s reign—will be on offer during an online auction hosted by Hansons on October 26 and 27. — Isis Davis-marks, Smithsonian Magazine, "Two British Teens Using Metal Detectors Discovered 1,000-Year-Old Coins," 21 Oct. 2020 User @muawk, who applied the teeth using nail adhesive for a makeup look, also visibly struggles to remove the teeth on video. — Taylyn Washington-harmon, Health.com, "People Are Super-Gluing Fake Vampire Fangs to Their Teeth Thanks to TikTok—Here’s What Dentists Have to Say," 21 Oct. 2020 Witherspoon wrote on Instagram with a pink nail-painting emoji. — Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, "We have no objections to Reese Witherspoon’s ‘Legally Blonde’ reunion, your honor," 20 Oct. 2020 Blush Box gift set includes two Essie nail polish colors, two polish remover wipes, a nail file, and some candy for good measure. — Lindsey Hunter Lopez, USA TODAY, "25 useful gifts new parents actually want," 19 Oct. 2020 Because of people like Alex and Jordan, business at hair, nail, and skin salons has surged — and held strong — after statewide re-openings between May and September. — Erika Stalder, refinery29.com, "People Are Still Hiding Their Beauty Treatments — Here’s Why," 19 Oct. 2020 Postseason glory isn’t possible without at least a few nail-biters. — Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, "After escaping with win over Eagles, Ravens enter bye week 5-1 with ‘a lot to work on’," 18 Oct. 2020 Badie and Koepper took inspiration from period icons like Dorothy Dandridge and advertisements from the era (like this Charles of the Ritz nail ad), which helped seal Leti's connection with the color red. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "How Lovecraft Country Got '50s Beauty So Right," 17 Oct. 2020 Currently, Cavy Rescue arranges nail trims, health checks and meet-and-greets for families wanting to adopt a guinea pig by appointment only. — Cathy M. Rosenthal, ExpressNews.com, "Animals Matter: Meet the San Antonio animal group rescuing and adopting out guinea pigs," 16 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb But so was the dialogue, and this is where Cerda really nails it. — Nina Metz, chicagotribune.com, "Campy 'Golden Girls' spoof misses the mark," 20 June 2017 Marist coach Colleen Biebel also sent Garofalo, who was nailed at home on a perfect relay throw from Barrington shortstop Julia Kozar. — Tony Baranek, Daily Southtown, "Angela Zedak, Marist look ahead after losing in Class 4A third-place game," 10 June 2017 And making sure Johnson nailed all those backing vocals. — Matt Wake, AL.com, "Aerosmith's secret weapon: Alabama native on tour with rock legends," 9 June 2017 Some houses had bathtubs, mirrors, furniture, crosses nailed to the wall. — Washington Post, "Blighted Baltimore homes are razed, along with some memories," 5 June 2017 By nailing down Chance as the festival’s finale, before even his star-making turn at this year’s Grammy Awards, Sasquatch! grabbed one of this year’s marquee live acts for their youthful audience. — Charles R. Cross, The Seattle Times, "In an area bloated with festivals, Sasquatch! still stands out," 24 May 2017 Why does Apple nail what channel the Cavs game is on but Google does not? — Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic, "20 Questions With Google's Assistant and Apple's Siri," 18 May 2017 Finally, in 2011, Shell and Eni paid the government $1.3 billion, including about $200 million as a signature bonus -- a onetime fee charged by some oil-producing nations -- to nail down the contract once and for all. — Chiara Albanese, Bloomberg.com, "How Shell, Eni Got Enmeshed in $1 Billion Scandal: QuickTake Q&A," 9 May 2017 How could anyone nail both the keys and the rhythms with perfect accuracy? — David Pogue, Scientific American, "Should Artists Reveal How Much They Let Technology Make Creative Choices?," 3 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nail.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

27 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Nail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nail. Accessed 30 Oct. 2020.

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More Definitions for nail

nail

noun

English Language Learners Definition of nail

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a long, thin piece of metal that is sharp at one end and flat at the other end and that is used chiefly to attach things to wood

: the hard covering at the end of a finger or toe : a fingernail or toenail

nail

verb

English Language Learners Definition of nail (Entry 2 of 2)

always followed by an adverb, adjective, or preposition : to attach (something) with a nail

: to catch (someone) doing something illegal or wrong

: to arrest or punish (someone) for doing something that is illegal or wrong

See the full definition for nail in the English Language Learners Dictionary

nail

noun

\ ˈnāl

Kids Definition of nail

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a tough covering protecting the upper end of each finger and toe

2 : a slender pointed piece of metal driven into or through something for fastening

nail

verb

nailed; nailing

Kids Definition of nail (Entry 2 of 2)

: to fasten with or as if with a nail

nail

noun

\ ˈnā(ə)l

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

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