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| nail [ nayl ] |
noun (plural nails) |
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| Definition: |
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1. short pointed metal pin: a strong metal pin with a flat round head and a pointed end that is hammered into wood or masonry and used to fasten objects together or hang something on
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2. something like nail: something that is like a nail in its shape, in being sharp, or in the way it is used
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3. hard area on finger or toe: in humans and other primates, the thin horny covering that grows on the upper surface of the end of each finger and toe
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4. claw: the claw of a bird, mammal, or reptile
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5. unit of measure: a former unit of measure for cloth that was equal to 5.7 cm (2.25 in)
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transitive verb (past and past participle nailed, present participle nail·ing, 3rd person present singular nails) |
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| Definition: |
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1. attach something with nails: to fasten, attach, or secure something using nails
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2. fix something steadily: to keep something fixed or focused on something
  His gaze was nailed to the astonishing scene.
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3. catch or convict guilty person: to catch somebody who is guilty of an offense, prove the person's guilt, or have the person convicted
(
slang
)
It took them five years to nail him for insider trading.
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4. expose untruth: to prove that something is not true or valid and so stop others from believing it
(
slang
)
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5. hit target with projectile: to hit or bring down somebody or something with a bullet or a projectile
(
slang
)
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6. stop person: to stop somebody and speak to him or her
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slang
)
nailed me in the corridor and demanded an explanation
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7. do something precisely or well: to catch, hit, seize, or execute something adroitly or precisely
(
slang
)
nailed the high dive and won the medal
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8. identify somebody or something: to identify somebody or establish something precisely
(
slang
)
I nailed him as a fraud as soon as he started talking about his wealthy background.
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9. baseball put somebody out: in baseball, to put out a runner by tagging
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| [ Old English nægl< Indo-European, "fingernail, toenail"] |
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| nail·er noun |
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a nail in somebody's coffin an event or action that further weakens the position of somebody or something already in decline
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hit the nail on the head to be absolutely correct or accurate
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on the nail accurate or exact
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