n. [ AS. naegel, akin to D. nagel, OS. & OHG. nagal, G. nagel, Icel. nagl, nail (in sense 1), nagli nail (in sense 3), Sw. nagel nail (in senses 1 and 3), Dan. nagle, Goth. ganagljan to nail, Lith. nagas nail (in sense 1), Russ. nogote, L. unguis, Gr. "o`nyx, Skr. nakha. √259.] 1. (Anat.) the horny scale of plate of epidermis at the end of the fingers and toes of man and many apes. [1913 Webster]

His nayles like a briddes claws were. Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

☞ The nails are strictly homologous with hoofs and claws. When compressed, curved, and pointed, they are called talons or claws, and the animal bearing them is said to be unguiculate; when they incase the extremities of the digits they are called hoofs, and the animal is ungulate. [1913 Webster]

2. (Zool.) (a) The basal thickened portion of the anterior wings of certain hemiptera. (b) The terminal horny plate on the beak of ducks, and other allied birds. [1913 Webster]

3. A slender, pointed piece of metal, usually with a head{2}, used for fastening pieces of wood or other material together, by being driven into or through them. [1913 Webster]

☞ The different sorts of nails are named either from the use to which they are applied, from their shape, from their size, or from some other characteristic, as shingle, floor, ship-carpenters', and horseshoe nails, roseheads, diamonds, fourpenny, tenpenny (see Penny, a.), chiselpointed, cut, wrought, or wire nails, etc. [1913 Webster]

4. A measure of length, being two inches and a quarter, or the sixteenth of a yard. [1913 Webster]

Nail ball (Ordnance), a round projectile with an iron bolt protruding to prevent it from turning in the gun. --
Nail plate, iron in plates from which cut nails are made. --
On the nail, in hand; on the spot; immediately; without delay or time of credit; as, to pay money on the nail; to pay cash on the nail. “You shall have ten thousand pounds on the nail.” Beaconsfield. --
To hit the nail on the head, (a) to hit most effectively; to do or say a thing in the right way. (b) to describe the most important factor. [1913 Webster +PJC]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Nailed p. pr. & vb. n. Nailing. ] [ AS. naeglian. See Nail, n. ] 1. To fasten with a nail or nails; to close up or secure by means of nails; as, to nail boards to the beams. [ 1913 Webster ]

He is now dead, and nailed in his chest. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To stud or boss with nails, or as with nails. [ 1913 Webster ]

The rivets of your arms were nailed with gold. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

When they came to talk of places in town, you saw at once how I nailed them. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To spike, as a cannon. [ Obs. ] Crabb. [ 1913 Webster ]

To nail an assertion or
To nail a lie, etc., to detect and expose it, so as to put a stop to its currency; -- an expression probably derived from the former practice of shopkeepers, who were accustomed to nail bad or counterfeit pieces of money to the counter. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A brush for cleaning the nails. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One whose occupation is to make nails; a nail maker. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who fastens with, or drives, nails. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who makes nails. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Naileries A factory where nails are made. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a head like that of a nail; formed so as to resemble the head of a nail. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nail-headed characters, arrowheaded or cuneiform characters. See under Arrowheaded. --
Nail-headed molding (Arch.), an ornament consisting of a series of low four-sided pyramids resembling the heads of large nails; -- called also nail-head molding, or nail-head. It is the same as the simplest form of dogtooth. See Dogtooth. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without nails; having no nails. [ 1913 Webster ]