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nailmore about nail

nail

 

  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Nail  \Nail\,  n.  [AS.  n[ae]gel,  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  ?,  Skr.  nakha.  ?] 
  1.  (Anat.)  the  horny  scale  of  plate  of  epidermis  at  the  end 
  of  the  fingers  and  toes  of  man  and  many  apes. 
 
  His  nayles  like  a  briddes  claws  were  --Chaucer. 
 
  Note:  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. 
 
  2.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  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. 
 
  3.  A  slender,  pointed  piece  of  metal,  usually  with  a  head, 
  used  for  fastening  pieces  of  wood  or  other  material 
  together,  by  being  driven  into  or  through  them 
 
  Note:  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 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Nail  \Nail\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Nailed};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Nailing}.]  [AS.  n[ae]glian.  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. 
 
  He  is  now  dead,  and  nailed  in  his  chest.  --Chaucer. 
 
  2.  To  stud  or  boss  with  nails,  or  as  with  nails. 
 
  The  rivets  of  your  arms  were  nailed  with  gold. 
  --Dryden. 
 
  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. 
 
  When  they  came  to  talk  of  places  in  town,  you  saw  at 
  once  how  I  nailed  them  --Goldsmith. 
 
  4.  To  spike,  as  a  cannon.  [Obs.]  --Crabb. 
 
  {To  nail}  {a  lie  or  an  assertion},  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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  nail 
  n  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 
  v  1:  attach  something  somewhere  by  means  of  nails;  "nail  the 
  board  onto  the  wall" 
  2:  take  into  custody,  as  of  suspected  criminals,  by  the  police 
  [syn:  {collar},  {apprehend},  {arrest},  {pick  up},  {nab},  {cop}] 
  3:  hit  hard;  "He  smashed  a  3-run  homer"  [syn:  {smash},  {boom}, 
  {blast}] 
  4:  succeed  in  obtaining  a  position;  "He  nailed  down  a  spot  at 
  Harvard"  [syn:  {nail  down},  {peg}] 
  5:  get  a  passing  grade  in  an  exams  [syn:  {pass},  {make  it}] 
  [ant:  {fail}] 
  6:  complete  a  pass,  in  football  [syn:  {complete}] 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Nail 
  for  fastening.  (1.)  Hebrew  yathed,  "piercing,"  a  peg  or  nail  of 
  any  material  (Ezek.  15:3),  more  especially  a  tent-peg  (Ex. 
  27:19;  35:18;  38:20),  with  one  of  which  Jael  (q.v.)  pierced  the 
  temples  of  Sisera  (Judg.  4:21,  22).  This  word  is  also  used 
  metaphorically  (Zech.  10:4)  for  a  prince  or  counsellor,  just  as 
  "the  battle-bow"  represents  a  warrior. 
 
  (2.)  Masmer,  a  "point,"  the  usual  word  for  a  nail.  The  words 
  of  the  wise  are  compared  to  "nails  fastened  by  the  masters  of 
  assemblies"  (Eccl.  12:11,  A.V.).  The  Revised  Version  reads,  "as 
  nails  well  fastened  are  the  words  of  the  masters,"  etc  Others 
  (as  Plumptre)  read,  "as  nails  fastened  are  the  masters  of 
  assemblies"  (comp.  Isa.  22:23;  Ezra  9:8).  David  prepared  nails 
  for  the  temple  (1  Chr.  22:3;  2  Chr.  3:9).  The  nails  by  which  our 
  Lord  was  fixed  to  the  cross  are  mentioned  (John  20:25;  Col. 
  2:14). 
 
  Nail  of  the  finger  (Heb.  tsipporen  "scraping").  To  "pare  the 
  nails"  is  in  Deut.  21:12  (marg.,  "make,"  or  "dress,"  or  "suffer 
  to  grow")  one  of  the  signs  of  purification,  separation  from 
  former  heathenism  (comp.  Lev.  14:8;  Num.  8:7).  In  Jer.  17:1  this 
  word  is  rendered  "point."




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