toenail

1 of 2

noun

toe·​nail ˈtō-ˌnāl How to pronounce toenail (audio)
-ˈnāl
: a nail of a toe

toenail

2 of 2

verb

toenailed; toenailing; toenails

transitive verb

: to fasten by toed nails : toe

Examples of toenail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In April 2020, Stepanek posted a photo of two of his children painting his toenails pink. Emma Kershaw, Peoplemag, 28 Nov. 2023 These medications are usually taken daily for eight weeks for fingernail fungus and 12 weeks for toenail fungus. Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 16 Nov. 2023 In April 2022, another customer came forward, a single mom, claiming she was charged almost $700 to have her toenails painted. Stepheny Price, Fox News, 15 Nov. 2023 Rhino horns are made of the protein keratin, which is also found in fingernails and toenails. Alex Sundby, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2023 One striking but baffling example is a monstrous woman—with horns, wings and oddly long toenails—carved into the wall of a house in Herculaneum. Amy Crawford, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023 Two of my toenails have become thick, discolored and misshapen. Joe and Teresa Graedon, oregonlive, 7 Aug. 2023 The 23-year-old student protester had not seen sunlight during the three years he was jailed at a maximum-security prison in Nicaragua — where guards routinely beat and tortured him, eventually ripping out one of his toenails. Paulina Villegas, Washington Post, 12 May 2023 Ideally, Clip all the acrylic extensions close to the nail's free edge using toenail clippers, says Totty. Sabrina Talbert, Women's Health, 4 May 2023
Verb
There’s an early, teasing and quintessentially Coppola-esque shot of Priscilla’s bare feet, her toenails freshly painted, sinking into the carpet and barely leaving an imprint. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023 In addition to blood and nasal fluid, these kids also give researchers samples of their pee, poop, saliva (a fancy name for spit) and toenail clippings. Rita Zeidner, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2023 Also known as onychomycosis, toenail fungus infections thrive in warm and damp environments. James Robinson, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2022 The stainless steel, heavy-duty, toenail clipper has straight and sharp blades that are strong enough to cut thick toenails. ELLE, 1 July 2022 People have asked me for panties, bras or lingerie, toenail clippings, all sorts of things like that. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2022 Just like its sister Poppy, the Posey is graciously fool-proof, even for those of us who are quicker to forego toenail polish rather than paint ourselves. Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, 27 Oct. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toenail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1691, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toenail was in 1691

Dictionary Entries Near toenail

Cite this Entry

“Toenail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toenail. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

toenail

noun
toe·​nail
-ˌnāl,
-ˈnā(ə)l
: a nail of a toe

Medical Definition

toenail

noun
: a nail of a toe

More from Merriam-Webster on toenail

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!