One Word for a Fastener and a Fingernail
A nail is a metal fastener and also the hard plate on a finger. The two senses are genuinely one.
A nail is a small metal spike driven in to fasten things, and also the horny plate at the end of a finger or toe. These really are the same word, going back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning claw or nail, with the metal sense borrowed from the body part. The same doubling appears across Europe: German *Nagel*, Dutch *nagel* and Russian *nogot* all cover both. Fingernails grow about 3.5 millimetres a month, roughly twice as fast as toenails.
- A metal fastener. *A nail and hammer.*
- A fingernail. *Bitten nails.*
- To fasten. *Nailing the board.*
- To succeed (informal). *He nailed it.*
- Old English — *nægel*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | nail | A nail. |
| Verb | nail | Nailing. |
| Compound | fingernail | A fingernail. |
| German | Nagel | A nail. |
| Old English | nægel | A nail. |
- He hammered in a nail.Tool.
- She trimmed her nails.Body.
- You nailed the answer.Informal.
Nail phrases
- Hit the nail on the head — be exactly right
- Nail your colours to the mast — commit publicly
- A nail in the coffin — a step toward an end
- Fight tooth and nail — with everything you have
- Hard as nails — tough and unfeeling
Old English *nægel*, of Germanic origin, from a root meaning claw or nail, shared with German *Nagel*.
Are the two nails the same word?
Yes. The body part is older, and the metal fastener took its name from the resemblance.
How fast do nails grow?
Fingernails grow roughly 3.5 millimetres a month, about twice as fast as toenails.