nail
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noun
1. a small metal spike with a broadened flat head, driven typically into wood with a hammer to join things together or to serve as a peg or hook.
くぎ, びょう
2. a horny covering on the upper surface of the tip of the finger and toe in humans and other primates.
(手足の)爪 (!手の爪はfingernail, 足の爪はtoenail)
an animal's claw.
(鳥獣の)爪(claw, talon)
a hard growth on the upper mandible of some soft-billed birds.
3. a measure of length for cloth, equal to 21/4 inches.
4. a measure of wool, beef, or other commodity, roughly equal to 7 or 8 pounds.
verb with object
1. fasten to a surface or to something else with a nail or nails:
〖～ A＋副詞〗 A〈物〉を…にくぎで留める, くぎで打ち付ける (!〖副詞〗は場所･状態の表現)
e.g. nail the edge framing to the wall
e.g. the teacher was nailing up the lists.
2. informal expose (someone) as deceitful or criminal; catch or arrest:
｟くだけて｠ «…の件で» 〈犯人など〉を捕らえる, 挙げる «for»
e.g. have you nailed the killer?
expose (a lie or other instance of deception).
3. Baseball (of a fielder) put (a runner) out by throwing to a base:
〘野球〙 〈走者〉を刺す, アウトにする
e.g. he dropped a perfect throw home that should have nailed Joe by yards.
chiefly North American (of a player) defeat or outwit (an opponent):
e.g. Navratilova tried to nail her on the backhand side.
(of a player) secure (a victory) conclusively:
e.g. there's no doubt I had chances to nail it in the last set.
American Football, informal tackle (the quarterback or ballcarrier), especially at or behind the line of scrimmage.
4. informal perform (an action or task) perfectly:
｟主に米･くだけて｠ 〈事〉をうまくやる; 〈技など〉を見事にきめる
e.g. she absolutely nailed the high notes
e.g. I guess they were indeed impressed (nailed it!).
5. vulgar slang, chiefly US (of a man) have sexual intercourse with (someone).
PHRASES
fight tooth and nail
see tooth.
(as) hard as nails
(of a person) very tough; completely callous or unfeeling.
on the nail
informal (of payment) without delay.
a nail in the coffin
an action or event regarded as likely to have a detrimental or destructive effect on a situation, enterprise, or person:
e.g. this was going to put the final nail in the coffin of his career.
PHRASAL VERBS
nail someone down
elicit a firm promise or commitment from someone:
e.g. I can't nail her down to a specific date.
nail something down
1. fasten something securely with nails.
2. identify something precisely:
e.g. something seems unexpected—I can't nail it down, but it makes me uneasy.
3. secure something, especially an agreement:
e.g. the company has finally nailed down the agreement with its distributors.
DERIVATIVES
nailless adjective
ORIGIN
Old English nægel (noun), næglan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch nagel and German Nagel, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin unguis and Greek onux.