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nail - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'nail' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Nail [ a.]
- A measure of length, being two inches and a quarter, or the sixteenth of a yard.
2 . Nail [ n.]
- the horny scale of plate of epidermis at the end of the fingers and toes of man and many apes.
- The basal thickened portion of the anterior wings of certain hemiptera.
- The terminal horny plate on the beak of ducks, and other allied birds.
- A slender, pointed piece of metal, usually with a head, used for fastening pieces of wood or other material together, by being driven into or through them.
- To fasten with a nail or nails; to close up or secure by means of nails; as, to nail boards to the beams.
- To stud or boss with nails, or as with nails.
- To fasten, as with a nail; to bind or hold, as to a bargain or to acquiescence in an argument or assertion; hence, to catch; to trap.
- To spike, as a cannon.

Meaning of 'nail' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . nail [ v]
Meaning (1):
- locate exactly
Example in sentence:
  • can you pinpoint the position of the enemy?;
  • The chemists could not nail the identity of the chromosome
Meaning (2):
- succeed in obtaining a position
Example in sentence:
  • He nailed down a spot at Harvard
Meaning (3):
- hit hard
Example in sentence:
  • He smashed a 3-run homer;
  • The teacher whacked the boy
Meaning (4):
- attach something somewhere by means of nails
Example in sentence:
  • nail the board onto the wall
Meaning (5):
- succeed at easily
Example in sentence:
  • She nailed her astrophysics course;
  • She sailed through her exams;
  • You will pass with flying colors
Meaning (6):
- take into custody
Example in sentence:
  • the police nabbed the suspected criminals

Nearby Words:

naiad naiant naid naif naik nail-headed nailbrush nailed nailer naileress

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