English
nail
see also: Nail
Pronunciation
  • enPR: nāl, IPA: /neɪl/, [neɪ̯ɫ]
Etymology 1

From Middle English nail, nayl, Old English næġl, from Proto-West Germanic *nagl, from Proto-Germanic *naglaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃nogʰ-.

Compare Northern Frisian Nail, Saterland Frisian Nail, Western Frisian neil, Low German Nagel, Dutch nagel, German Nagel, Danish negl, Swedish nagel, Finnish naula, Estonian nael, (compare Irish ionga, Latin unguis, Albanian nyell, Lithuanian nagas, Russian нога́, но́готь ("nail"), Ancient Greek ὄνυξ, Persian ناخن, Sanskrit नख.

Noun

nail (plural nails)

  1. The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals.
    When I'm nervous I bite my nails.
  2. The basal thickened portion of the anterior wings of certain hemiptera.
  3. The terminal horny plate on the beak of ducks, and other allied birds.
  4. The claw of a bird or other animal.
  5. A spike-shaped metal fastener used for joining wood or similar materials. The nail is generally driven through two or more layers of material by means of impacts from a hammer or other device. It is then held in place by friction.
  6. A round pedestal on which merchants once carried out their business, such as the four nails outside The Exchange, Bristol.
  7. An archaic English unit of length equivalent to 1⁄20 of an ell or 1⁄16 of a yard (2+1⁄4 inches or 5.715 cm).
Translations Translations Translations Etymology 2

From Middle English naylen, from Old English næġlan.

Verb

nail (nails, present participle nailing; simple past and past participle nailed)

  1. (transitive) To fix (an object) to another object using a nail.
    Coordinate terms: pin, rivet, screw; see also Thesaurus:join
    He nailed the placard to the post.
  2. (intransitive) To drive a nail.
    Synonyms: hammer
    He used the ax head for nailing.
  3. (transitive) To stud or boss with nails, or as if with nails.
  4. (slang) To catch.
    Synonyms: arrest, collar, nick, Thesaurus:capture
  5. (transitive, slang) To expose as a sham.
  6. (transitive, slang) To accomplish (a task) completely and successfully.
    Synonyms: ace, fullbring, fulfill
    Antonyms: screw
    I really nailed that test.
  7. (transitive, slang) To hit (a target) effectively with some weapon.
  8. (transitive, vulgar, slang) Of a male, to engage in sexual intercourse with.
    Synonyms: dick, pound, rail, screw, Thesaurus:copulate with
  9. (military) To spike, as a cannon.
  10. (transitive) To nail down: to make certain, or confirm.
    Synonyms: clinch, fix, lock down, pin down
  11. (slang, transitive, obsolete) To steal.
Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations
Nail
Etymology

From nail, hence a metonymic occupational surname for a maker of nails, or a nickname for a tall and slender person.

Proper noun
  1. Surname.


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