1
- a small metal spike with a broadened flat head, driven typically into wood with a hammer to join things together or to serve as a peg or hook钉子。
2
- a horny covering on the upper surface of the tip of the finger and toe in humans and other primates（人类或其他灵长类的）指甲。
2.1
- an animal's claw（动物的）趾甲; 爪。
2.2
- a hard growth on the upper mandible of some soft-billed birds（一些软喙鸟类）上喙的硬甲壳。
3
- historical a medieval unit of measurement〈史〉纳尔：
3.1
- a measure of length for cloth, equal to 2¼ inches纳尔（布匹长度单位, 相当于2¼英寸）。
3.2
- a measure of wool, beef, or other commodity, roughly equal to 7 or 8 pounds纳尔（羊毛、牛肉或其他商品的计量单位, 约等于7或8磅）。
with obj.
1
- with obj. and adverbial of place fasten to a surface or to something else with a nail or nails把…钉牢, 钉住：
the strips are simply nailed to the roof.
板条只是钉在房顶上而已。
2
- informal expose (someone) as deceitful or criminal; catch or arrest〈非正式〉揭穿（某人）; 抓住, 逮住：
have you nailed the killer?
你有没有抓住杀手？
2.1
- expose (a lie or other instance of deception)揭穿（谎言, 欺骗）。
3
- informal (of a player in a game) strike (a ball) forcefully and successfully〈非正式〉（比赛选手）大力扣杀（球）：
she was stretched to the limit and failed to nail the smash.
她使出浑身解数未能把球扣死。
3.1
- Baseball (of a fielder) put (a runner) out by throwing to a base【棒球】（外场手）把（跑垒者）杀出局。
3.2
- chiefly N. Amer. (of a player) defeat or outwit (an opponent)〈主北美〉（选手）击败（或智胜）（对手）：
Navratilova tried to nail her on the backhand side.
纳夫拉蒂洛娃力图打对方的反手来击败她。
3.3
- (of a player) secure (especially a victory) conclusively（选手）锁定（胜局）。
4
- vulgar slang, chiefly US (of a man) have sexual intercourse with〈粗俚, 主美〉（男性）与…性交。
短语
fight tooth and nail
- 见TOOTH.
hard as nails
- (of a person) very tough; completely callous or unfeeling（人）强硬的; 铁石心肠的, 冷酷无情的。
nail one's colours to the mast
- 见MAST1.
a nail in the coffin
- an action or event regarded as likely to have a detrimental or destructive effect on a situation, enterprise, or person催命符; 致命一击：
this was going to put the final nail in the coffin of his career.
这对他的事业来说会是个致命打击。
on the nail （〈北美〉亦作on the barrelhead）
- (of payment) without delay（付款）当场（的）, 立即（的）。
派生词
nailed
adjective指甲肮脏的手指
nailless
adjective词源
Old English nægel (noun), næglan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch nagel and German Nagel, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin unguis and Greek onux.
短语动词
nail someone down
- elicit a firm promise or commitment from someone使承诺：
I can't nail her down to a specific date.
我无法让她说定一个日子。
nail something down
1
- fasten something securely with nails钉牢, 钉住。
2
- identify something precisely弄清, 确定：
something seems unexpected - I can't nail it down, but it makes me uneasy.
好像出了点事——我弄不清楚是什么, 可它让我感到不安。
3
- secure something, especially an agreement敲定; 确保（某事物, 尤指协议）。
nail something up
- fasten a door or window with nails so that it cannot be opened把（门、窗等）钉死。