nail

noun

1》 a small metal spike with a broadened flat head, driven into wood to join things together or to serve as a hook.

2》 a horny covering on the upper surface of the tip of the finger and toe in humans and other primates.

    ↘a hard growth on the upper mandible of some soft-billed birds.

3》 a former measure of length for cloth, equal to 2 1/4 inches.

4》 a former measure of wool, beef, or other commodity, roughly equal to 7 or 8 pounds.

verb

1》 fasten with a nail or nails.

2》 informal detect or catch (someone, especially a suspected criminal).

3》 informal (in sport) strike (a ball) forcefully and successfully.

    ↘Baseball (of a fielder) put (a runner) out by throwing to a base.

    ↘chiefly N. Amer. (of a player) defeat or outwit (an opponent).

4》 (nail someone down) elicit a firm commitment from someone.

5》 (nail something down) identify something precisely.

Phrases

a nail in the coffin an action or event likely to have a detrimental or destructive effect.

on the nail (N. Amer. also on the barrelhead) (of payment) without delay.

Derivatives

-nailed adjective

nailless adjective

Origin

OE nægel (n.), næglan (v.), of Gmc origin.