nail (n l)n.1. A slim, pointed piece of metal hammered into material as a fastener. 2. a. A fingernail or toenail. b. A claw or talon. 3. Something resembling a nail in shape, sharpness, or use. 4. A measure of length formerly used for cloth, equal to 1/16 yard (5.7 centimeters). tr.v. nailed, nail·ing, nails 1. To fasten, join, or attach with or as if with a nail. 2. To cover, enclose, or shut by fastening with nails: nail up a window. 3. To keep fixed, motionless, or intent: Fear nailed me to my seat. 4. Slang a. To stop and seize; catch: Police nailed the suspect. b. To detect and expose: nailed the senator in a lie; nail corruption before it gets out of control. 5. Slang a. To strike or bring down: nail a bird in flight; nail a running back. b. To perform successfully or have noteworthy success in: nailed the dive; nailed the exam. 6. Baseball To put out (a base runner). Phrasal Verb: nail down1. To discover or establish conclusively: nailed down the story by checking all the facts. 2. To win: nailed down another victory in the golf tournament. 3. To specify or fix: We were finally able to nail down a meeting time.
[Middle English, from Old English nægl, fingernail, toenail; see nogh- in Indo-European roots.]
nail er n. | nail left to right: common, finishing, ring, and roofing nails |
nail down Verb
1. to secure or fasten down with nails or as if with nails
2. to force an agreement from
3. to settle in a definite way: a compromise was agreed in principle but has not yet been nailed down
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Verb | 1. | nail down - succeed in obtaining a position; "He nailed down a spot at Harvard" |
| 2. | nail down - define clearly; "I cannot narrow down the rules for this game"determine - fix in scope; fix the boundaries of; "the tree determines the border of the property" |
| 3. | nail down - make final; put the last touches on; put into final form; "let's finalize the proposal"terminate, end - bring to an end or halt; "She ended their friendship when she found out that he had once been convicted of a crime"; "The attack on Poland terminated the relatively peaceful period after WW I" |