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1. A thin pointed piece of metal that is hammered into materials as a fastener
    
2. Horny plate covering and protecting the upper part of the end of the fingers and toes
    
3. The claw of an animal
    
4. [archaic] A former unit of length for cloth equal to 1/16 of a yard

1. Attach something somewhere by means of nails
   "nail the board onto the wall";
   - nail down
    
2. [informal] Take into custody
   "the police nailed the suspected criminals";
   - collar [informal], apprehend, arrest, pick up, nab [informal], cop [informal], pinch [Brit, informal], nick [Brit, informal]
    
3. Hit with great force
   "He nailed a 3-run homer";
   - smash, boom, blast
    
4. [informal] Succeed in obtaining a position
   "He nailed down a spot at Harvard";
   - nail down [informal], peg [informal]
    
5. [informal] Easily do well at; pass perfectly
   "She nailed her astrophysics course";
   - breeze through [informal], ace, pass with flying colors [US], sweep through, sail through, pass with flying colours [Brit, Cdn]
    
6. [informal] Locate exactly
   "The chemists could not nail the identity of the chromosome";
   - pinpoint
    
7. [informal] (football) complete a pass
   - complete
    
8. [N. Amer, vulgar] (of a man) have sexual intercourse with

Derived forms: nails, nailing, nailed

See also: sail, specify

Type of: attach, bring home the bacon [informal], clutch, come through, come up trumps [Brit, informal], deliver the goods, fastener, fastening, fixing, hit, holdfast, horny structure, linear measure, linear unit, locate, make it, make the grade [N. Amer], pass, play, prehend [archaic], seize, succeed, turn up, turn up trumps [Brit, informal], unguis, win

Part of: dactyl, digit, integumentary system

Encyclopedia: Nail, David