nail meaning and definition

NAIL noun

Definition of nail (noun)

1. horny plate covering and protecting part of the dorsal surface of the digits
2. a thin pointed piece of metal that is hammered into materials as a fastener
3. a former unit of length for cloth equal to 1/16 of a yard

NAIL verb

Definition of nail (verb)

1. attach something somewhere by means of nails
   • "nail the board onto the wall"
2. take into custody
   • "the police nabbed the suspected criminals"
   • synonyms: apprehend, arrest, collar, cop, nab, pick up
3. hit hard
   • "He smashed a 3-run homer"
   • synonyms: blast, boom, smash
4. succeed in obtaining a position
   • "He nailed down a spot at Harvard"
   • synonyms: nail down, peg
5. succeed at easily
   • "She sailed through her exams"; "You will pass with flying colors"; "She nailed her astrophysics course"
   • synonyms: ace, breeze through, pass with flying colors, sail through, sweep through
6. locate exactly
   • "can you pinpoint the position of the enemy?"; "The chemists could not nail the identity of the chromosome"
   • synonyms: pinpoint
7. complete a pass
   • synonyms: complete