nail

1 of 2

noun

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

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
Color usually trickles into an ensemble in subtle touches — cherry-red lipstick or nails, an eye-catching, jewel-colored clutch. Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2024 In that stretch, the Warriors hustled back on defense, starting from the nail and fanning out from there. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 Jill Abramson is tough as nails and the sweetest, most generous with journalistic advice. Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 It was later followed by Juste un Clou in 1971, a bracelet shaped like a nail that curves around the wrist. Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024 Hair, makeup, nails, and jewelry were all on point. Glamour, 10 Mar. 2024 Read More Makeup The Best Beauty Looks at This Year's Oscars All the hair, makeup, and nail looks that deserve a close-up. Marci Robin, Allure, 10 Mar. 2024 Benny Blanco 'Reverses' His Opinion on Filipino Fast Food Chain After Backlash Fans flooded the nail tech’s post to comment on Blanco’s dedication to Gomez. Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Indeed, as far as setting direction goes, Mirror Indy hit the nail on the head. Subramaniam Vincent, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
But so was the dialogue, and this is where Cerda really nails it. Nina Metz, chicagotribune.com, 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, 10 June 2017 And making sure Johnson nailed all those backing vocals. Matt Wake, AL.com, 9 June 2017 Some houses had bathtubs, mirrors, furniture, crosses nailed to the wall. Washington Post, 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, 24 May 2017 Why does Apple nail what channel the Cavs game is on but Google does not? Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic, 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, 9 May 2017 How could anyone nail both the keys and the rhythms with perfect accuracy? David Pogue, Scientific American, 3 July 2017

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of nail was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near nail

Cite this Entry

“Nail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nail. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nail

1 of 2 noun
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
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

More from Merriam-Webster on nail

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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