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¹nail

noun \ˈnāl\

: 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

Full Definition of NAIL

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

b : a structure (as a claw) that terminates a digit and corresponds to a nail

: a slender usually pointed and headed fastener designed to be pounded in

See nail defined for English-language learners

See nail defined for kids

Origin of NAIL

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Other Hardware Terms

adze, auger, awl, chock, ferrule, punch, tang

Rhymes with NAIL

ail, ale, bail, bale, Bâle, brail, braille, Braille, dale, fail, flail, frail, Gael, gale, Gale, grail, hail, hale, jail, kale, mail, male, pail, pale, quail, Quayle, rail, sail, sale, scale, shale, snail, stale, swale, tael, tail, taille, tale, trail, vail, vale, veil, wail, wale, whale, Yale

²nail

verb

Full Definition of NAIL

transitive verb

: to fasten with or as if with a nail

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

a : catch, trap

b : to expose usually so as to discredit

c : to arrest or punish for an offense

a : strike, hit

b : to put out (a runner) in baseball

: to perform or complete perfectly or impressively <nailed a jump shot>

: to gain or win decisively —often used with down <nail down their consent>

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

usually vulgar : to copulate with

— nail·er noun

See nail defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of NAIL

before 12th century

Related to NAIL

Synonyms: bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, knock, hit, paste, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, swipe, tag, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, zap

Antonyms: camouflage, cloak, disguise, mask

Other Building Terms

batten, cistern, hearth, lath, transom, wainscot

NAIL Defined for Kids

¹nail

noun \ˈnāl\

Definition of NAIL for Kids

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

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

²nail

verb

nailednail·ing

Definition of NAIL for Kids

: to fasten with or as if with a nail

Medical Dictionary

nail

noun \ˈnā(ə)l\

Medical Definition of NAIL

: 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

: a structure (as a claw) that terminates a digit and corresponds to a nail

: a rod (as of metal) used to fix the parts of a broken bone in normal relation <a medullary nail>