nail
/neɪl/
Also a verb
Meaning
A slender metal pin with a pointed end and a flat head, driven into wood or other materials to hold pieces together.
He pounded the rusty nail firmly into the wooden fence post.
The thin, hard covering that protects the upper surface of the tip of each finger and toe.
She accidentally tore a nail while lifting the heavy moving box.
Collocations
- hammer a nail
- drive a nail
- rusty nail
- trim your nails
- bite your nails
See also tough as nails
Idioms
hit the nail on the head
describe precisely what is causing a situation or problem
Her analysis of the marketing failure really hit the nail on the head.
a nail in the coffin
an event that brings about the inevitable failure of something
The latest budget cut was the final nail in the project's coffin.