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n. [ Bull large, having a large head + nail. ] A nail with a round head and short shank, tinned and lacquered. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. canaille (cf. It. canaglia), prop. and orig. a pack of dogs, fr. L. Canis dog. ] 1. The lowest class of people; the rabble; the vulgar. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Shorts or inferior flour. [ Canadian ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The nail or knob on which in ancient doors the knocker struck; -- hence the old saying, “As dead as a doornail.” [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A small, transparent, land snail, of the genus Vitrina. [ 1913 Webster ]

/mhw>, n. [ Cf. F. gouvernail helm, rudder, L. gubernaculum. ] Management; mastery. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ A corruption of agnail. ] A small piece or sliver of skin which hangs loose, near the root of a finger nail. Holloway. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 1st hob + nail. ] 1. A short, sharp-pointed, large-headed nail, -- used in shoeing houses and for studding the soles of heavy shoes. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A clownish person; a rustic. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hobnail liver (Med.), a disease in which the liver is shrunken, hard, and covered with projections like hobnails; one of the forms of cirrhosis of the liver. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To tread down roughly, as with hobnailed shoes. [ 1913 Webster ]

Your rights and charters hobnailed into slush. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See with hobnails, as a shoe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A thin, pointed nail, with a heavy flaring head, for securing a horsehoe to the hoof; a horsehoe nail. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ]

(Zool.) (a) A small fish of the genus Liparis, having a ventral sucker. It lives among stones and seaweeds. (b) Any small creeping marine gastropod, as the species of Littorina, Natica, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. snaile, AS. snægel, snegel, snægl; akin to G. schnecke, OHG. snecko, Dan. snegl, Icel. snigill. ] 1. (Zool.) (a) Any one of numerous species of terrestrial air-breathing gastropods belonging to the genus Helix and many allied genera of the family Helicidae. They are abundant in nearly all parts of the world except the arctic regions, and feed almost entirely on vegetation; a land snail. (b) Any gastropod having a general resemblance to the true snails, including fresh-water and marine species. See Pond snail, under Pond, and Sea snail. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, a drone; a slow-moving person or thing. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Mech.) A spiral cam, or a flat piece of metal of spirally curved outline, used for giving motion to, or changing the position of, another part, as the hammer tail of a striking clock. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A tortoise; in ancient warfare, a movable roof or shed to protect besiegers; a testudo. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

They had also all manner of gynes [ engines ] . . . that needful is [ in ] taking or sieging of castle or of city, as snails, that was naught else but hollow pavises and targets, under the which men, when they fought, were heled [ protected ], . . . as the snail is in his house; therefore they cleped them snails. Vegetius (Trans.). [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Bot.) The pod of the sanil clover. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ear snail,
Edible snail,
Pond snail, etc. See under Ear, Edible, etc. --
Snail borer (Zool.), a boring univalve mollusk; a drill. --
Snail clover (Bot.), a cloverlike plant (Medicago scuttellata, also, Medicago Helix); -- so named from its pods, which resemble the shells of snails; -- called also snail trefoil, snail medic, and beehive. --
Snail flower (Bot.), a leguminous plant (Phaseolus Caracalla) having the keel of the carolla spirally coiled like a snail shell. --
Snail shell (Zool.), the shell of snail. --
Snail trefoil. (Bot.) See Snail clover, above. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See Sea snail (a). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like or suiting a snail; as, snail-like progress. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the manner of a snail; slowly. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Slow-moving, like a snail. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bid the snail-paced Ajax arm for shame. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

interj. God's nails, or His nails, that is, the nails with which the Savior was fastened to the cross; -- an ancient form of oath, corresponding to 'Od's bodikins (dim. of body, i.e., God's dear body). Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., a pair of pincers or tongs, a tenaille, fr. L. tenaculum. See Tenaculum. ] (Fort.) An outwork in the main ditch, in front of the curtain, between two bastions. See Illust. of Ravelin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. See Tenaille. ] (Fort.) A work constructed on each side of the ravelins, to increase their strength, procure additional ground beyond the ditch, or cover the shoulders of the bastions. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Tree + nail. ] (Shipbuilding) A long wooden pin used in fastening the planks of a vessel to the timbers or to each other. [ Written also trenail, and trunnel. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Shipbuilding) Same as Treenail. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + nail. ] To remove the nails from; to unfasten by removing nails. [ 1913 Webster ]

See accommodating.
See aching.
See ailing.
See aiming.
See alarming.
See altering.
See appreciating.
See approving.
See aspiring.
See assisting.
See attempting.
See attending.
See bearing.
See befitting.
See beginning.
See believing.
See bleaching.
See bleeding.
See blemishing.
See blenching.
See blossoming.
See blushing.
See boding.
See branching.
See breathing.
See burning.
See calculating.
See ceasing.
See changing.
See charming.
See communicating.
See complaining.
See complying.
See conceiving.
See conducing.
See confessing.
See conniving.
See consenting.
See considering.
See conspiring.
See consulting.
See consuming.
See contending.
See contriving.
See conversing.
See convincing.
See dawning.
See decaying.
See delaying.
See depending.
See derogating.
See deserving.
See desiring.
See despairing.
See detesting.
See deviating.
See differencing.
See discerning.
See discording.
See discriminating.
See disobliging.
See dispensing.
See dissembling.
See dissolving.
See distinguishing.
See distracting.
See disturbing.
See doubting.
See dreading.
See drooping.
See ebbing.
See echoing.
See edifying.
See ending.
See enduring.
See engaging.
See enjoying.
See entering.
See enterprising.
See entertaining.
See envying.
See existing.
See fadging.
See fading.
See fainting.
See faltering.
See fearing.
See feigning.
See fighting.
See fitting.
See flagging.
See flattering.
See flinching.
See folding.
See forbearing.
See foreboding.
See foreseeing.
See forgiving.
See giving.
See grudging.
See harming.
See heeding.
See hesitating.
See hoping.
See hurting.
See importing.
See imposing.
See improving.
See interesting.
See intermitting.
See intoxicating.
See inviting.
See jarring.
See laboring.
See lingering.
See listening.
See loving.
See meddling.
See meriting.
See mistrusting.
See moving.
See murmuring.
See obliging.
See observing.
See offending.
See opening.
See pardoning.
See paying.
See perceiving.
See performing.
See perishing.
See pitying.
See pleasing.
See possessing.
See preaching.
See prepossessing.
See presuming.
See pretending.
See prevailing.
See prevaricating.
See profiting.
See promising.
See proving.
See quailing.
See questioning.
See reasoning.
See recalling.
See reclining.
See recurring.
See referring.
See reflecting.
See refunding.
See refusing.
See rejoicing.
See relaxing.
See relishing.
See remembering.
See repenting.
See repining.
See reproving.
See repulsing.
See resisting.
See resolving.
See resting.
See returning.
See rewarding.
See sanctifying.
See satisfying.
See searching.
See seeing.
See setting.
See shrinking.
See sinking.
See sleeping.
See slipping.
See slumbering.
See speaking.
See stinting.
See stirring.
See stooping.
See submitting.
See sufficing.
See suiting.
See surging.
See suspecting.
See sweating.
See swerving.
See sympathizing.
See tasting.
See thriving.
See tiring.
See toiling.
See trading.
See trembling.
See trespassing.
See trifling.
See vacillating.
See varying.
See walking.
See wandering.
See waning.
See wasting.
See wavering.
See weeping.
See winking.
See winning.
See withdrawing.
See withering.
See wondering.
See working.
See writing.
See yielding.
----- and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The above classes of words are unlimited in extent, and such compounds may be formed by any writer or speaker at will from almost all the adjectives or participles in the language, excepting those which have a recognized and usual negative correspondent with the prefix -in. No attempt will be made, therefore, to define them all in this Dictionary; many will be omitted from its Vocabulary which are negations of the simple word, and are readily explained by prefixing a not to the latter. Derivatives of these words in -ly and -ness will also, for the most part, be omitted for the same or similar reasons. [ 1913 Webster ]

There will be inserted as separate articles with definitions, the following: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Those which have acquired an opposed or contrary, instead of a merely negative, meaning; as, unfriendly, ungraceful, unpalatable, unquiet, and the like; or else an intensive sense more than a prefixed not would express; as, unending, unparalleled, undisciplined, undoubted, unsafe, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Those which have the value of independent words, inasmuch as the simple words are either not used at all, or are rarely, or at least much less frequently, used; as, unavoidable, unconscionable, undeniable, unspeakable, unprecedented, unruly, and the like; or inasmuch as they are used in a different sense from the usual meaning of the primitive, or especially in one of the significations of the latter; as, unaccountable, unalloyed, unbelieving, unpretending, unreserved, and the like; or inasmuch as they are so frequently and familiarly used that they are hardly felt to be of negative origin; as, uncertain, uneven, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Those which are anomalous, provincial, or, for some other reason, not desirable to be used, and are so indicated; as, unpure for impure, unsatisfaction for dissatisfaction, unexpressible for inexpressible, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

II. Un- is prefixed to nouns to express the absence of, or the contrary of, that which the noun signifies; as, unbelief, unfaith, unhealth, unrest, untruth, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Compounds of this last class are given in full in their proper order in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ]