A nail is a piece of hardware that is used in the construction of large or small objects. You usually need a hammer in order to drive the nail into something.
John needed a hammer and some nails to fix his garage door.
Nails joined the 2x4s together as the house was built.
I used a nail to hang a picture on the wall.
The word "nail" is often used as a verb:
This is a frame for a wall.
The carpenters are nailing together a frame for a wall.
It took them just about an hour to nail this together.
Wallboard will be nailed to the frame.
There are many expressions that use the word "nail."
The police finally nailed the guy who was breaking into the houses on our street. (nail = catch a criminal)
He got nailed by the police. (He was caught.)
I’m going to get nailed to the cross if I arrive late. (nailed to the cross = to incite anger or punishment)
The owner of the company nailed him down on some specific proposals. (nail one down on = identify a belief or an opinion.)
Maria is trying to nail down a few new customers this week. (nail down = secure; get)
Tom nailed all the questions he was asked during the interview. (nail = answer correctly)
Nailed it! (I got the right answer / I did something well.)
You can also use the word "nail" when describing "fingernails."
She paints her nails with pink polish.
Nguyen does nails for a living. She’s a manicurist.
