nail

nail — noun

1. a thin metal rod with a sharp tip and a flat top; people drive it into wood or o

1.nounA2
Definition

a thin metal rod with a sharp tip and a flat top; people drive it into wood or other material using a hammer to fasten parts together or keep things in place.

Example

Hamza used a hammer to drive the long nail into the wooden beam.

'drive a nail' collocation for hammering in

The old fence had rusty nails sticking out from the wood.

Common collocations
  • drive a nail
  • hammer a nail
  • pull out a nail
  • bent nail
  • rusty nail
Synonyms
  • tack

    a very small, short nail with a broad head, used for light-duty fastening like paper to a wall

  • spike

    a large, heavy nail, usually for outdoor construction like railway ties

Grammar Patterns

drive/hammer a nail

pull out a nail

Usage Note

Common verb partners include 'drive', 'hammer', 'pull out'. The head of a nail is the flat end you strike; the point is the end you push into the material.

Common Mistakes

I screwed a nail into the wall.
I hammered a nail into the wall.
screws are turned with a screwdriver; nails are struck with a hammer.

2. a thin, hard surface that covers the end parts of human fingers and toes.

2.nounA1
Definition

a thin, hard surface that covers the end parts of human fingers and toes.

Example

Renata painted her nails bright red for the wedding ceremony.

'paint your nails' common phrase for applying colour

Jude trimmed his nails short before starting guitar lessons.

Common collocations
  • cut your nails
  • trim your nails
  • paint your nails
  • fingernails
  • toenails
  • bite your nails
  • file your nails
Synonyms
  • fingernail

    specifically a nail on a finger, not a toe

  • toenail

    specifically a nail on a toe, thicker and slower-growing than a fingernail

  • claw

    a curved, pointed nail on an animal such as a cat or bird

Grammar Patterns

cut/trim your nails

paint your nails

Usage Note

Often used in the plural ('nails') when referring generally. Common verbs: 'cut', 'trim', 'file', 'paint', 'bite'. 'Fingernail' and 'toenail' are more specific compounds.

Common Mistakes

I cut my nail hair.
I cut my nails.
the hard layer is called a nail, not 'nail hair'.
Idioms

hit the nail on the head

idiom

to say or identify something exactly right; to make a completely accurate statement about a situation.

When Christopher said the team needed better communication, he hit the nail on the head.

The review hit the nail on the head — the film's main problem is its weak story.

a nail in the coffin

idiom

an event or action that makes something bad more likely to happen, especially making the end of something more certain.

The failed product launch was another nail in the company's coffin.

Each lost game drove another nail in the coach's coffin at the school.

fight tooth and nail

idiom

to make a very strong effort to oppose or achieve something, using every possible means.

The residents fought tooth and nail against the new highway being built through their town.

Rachel fought tooth and nail for a place on the national swimming team.

(as) hard as nails

idiom

showing no weakness, fear, or sympathy; very tough in character.

The old sergeant was as hard as nails and showed no pity to new recruits.

After years living on the streets, the stray cat was as tough as nails.

a nail in somebody’s/something’s coffin

idiom

An event or action that brings someone or something closer to failure or destruction.

The scandal was another nail in the company's coffin.

Did the new regulation put a nail in the project's coffin?

on the nail

idiom

Immediately or without any delay, especially when paying money.

The client paid the invoice on the nail.

Maya always pays her rent on the nail.

(as) tough as old boots | (as) tough as nails

idiom

Very strong and able to handle difficult situations without being hurt or upset.

Grandma is 85 but she's as tough as nails.

After years in the army, he became tough as old boots.

nail — verb

Word family

  • fingernail
    nounA2
  • toenail
    nounA2
  • nail-biter
    nounC1
  • nail-biting
    adjectiveC1
  • nail polish
    nounA2
  • nail file
    nounB1
  • nail clipper
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/3

The informal verb 'nail' (sense meaning 'do perfectly') overlaps with several near-synonyms that differ in register and scope. 'Ace' is similarly informal but mainly used for tests and exams ('She aced the driving test') — you cannot 'ace a recipe' as naturally as you can 'nail a recipe'. 'Crush' is slang with a stronger sense of dominance over the challenge ('They crushed the competition'), implying the task was difficult and was defeated completely. 'Succeed' is the neutral, formal alternative that works in any register ('He succeeded in getting the job'), but it does not carry the 'perfect result' or 'easy mastery' implication of 'nail'. 'Perfect' as a verb ('She perfected her technique') implies a process of improvement over time, not a single successful attempt. In everyday spoken English, 'nail' remains the most versatile informal choice — you can nail a speech, a test, a recipe, an interview, or a dance move.

ace ↗crush ↗succeed ↗perfect ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • nail down
  • nail up

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

The word 'nail' comes from Old English 'nægel', meaning both the metal fastener and the hard covering on fingers and toes. It traces back through Proto-Germanic '*naglaz' to the Proto-Indo-European root '*h₃nogʰ-', meaning 'nail' or 'claw'. The two meanings — metal object and body part — existed side by side in Old English because of the shared shape: a thin, hard, pointed form. The verb senses developed from the noun: 'to fasten with nails' appeared in Old English, the figurative meaning 'to catch or trap' emerged in the 1500s, and the informal senses 'to hit hard' and 'to do perfectly' arose in 20th-century American English.