nail
noun [ C ] uk/neɪl/ us/neɪl/
(METAL)
B2 钉，钉子
a small, thin piece of metal with one pointed end and one flat end that you hit into something with a hammer, especially in order to fasten or join it to something else
a three-inch nail 3英寸长的钉子
I stepped on a nail sticking out of the floorboards. 我踩到了地板上凸出来的一颗钉子。
Hammer a nail into the wall and we'll hang the mirror from it. 在墙上钉个钉子，我们要把镜子挂在上面。
- More examples
- I got a flat tyre after driving over a nail.
- Can you hold this nail in position while I hammer it into the door?
- I ripped my shirt on a nail.
- I've got a run in my tights from the nail on my chair.
- She scrounged around in the tool box for a tack or nail to hang the notice up with.
(BODY PART)
B2 指甲;趾甲
a thin, hard area that covers the upper side of the end of each finger and each toe
Stop biting your nails! 别再咬指甲了！
nail clippers 指甲刀
a nail file 指甲锉
See also: fingernailtoenail
- More examples
- You're not to bite your nails like that.
- She painted her nails a bright red.
- She filed her nails as she watched TV.
- She sat in the dentist's waiting room, nervously chewing at her nails.
- I wish my nail polish wouldn't keep chipping.
Idioms
another/the final nail in the coffinidiom 导致失败的事件，致命打击，催命符
an event that causes the failure of something that had already started to fail
Each successive revelation of incompetence is another nail in the chairman's coffin. 接二连三地显露出不称职是导致董事长下台的一道道催命符。
That report drove the final nail in the company's coffin. 那份报告为公司敲响了丧钟。
hard/tough as nailsidiom 冷酷无情的，铁石心肠的
not feeling or showing any emotions such as sympathy, fear, or worry
nail
verb uk/neɪl/ us/neɪl/
(FASTEN)
[ T + adv/prep ]用钉子钉，将…钉牢
to fasten something with nails
She had nailed a small shelf to the door. 她在门上钉了一个小架子。
A notice had been nailed up on the wall. 墙上钉了一张通知。
The lid of the box had been nailed down. 棺材盖被钉死了。
(CATCH)
[ T ] slang（尤指当场）抓获，逮住;证明…有罪，揭发
to catch someone, especially when they are doing something wrong, or to make it clear that they are guilty
The police had been trying to nail those guys for months. 数月来警方一直想抓住那帮家伙。
(SUCCEED)
[ T ] informal（成功）做到，完成，实现
to do something succcessfully
She nailed her audition and got the lead part in the musical. 她在试镜中表现出色，得到了音乐剧中的主角角色。
You totally nailed it! 你完全搞定了！
Idioms
nail your colours to the mastidiom UK 明确表态;表明意图
to make it obvious what your opinions or plans are
nail a lieidiom UK old-fashioned informal 拆穿谎言
to prove that something really is a lie
nailing jelly to the wallidiom UK (US nailing Jell-O to the wall ) 试图提供无从知晓的细节;白费力气
trying to give exact details for something that it is not possible to know about exactly
Writing the history of this period is like nailing jelly to the wall. 试图书写这一时期的历史纯属白费力气。
Phrasal verbs
nail someone down 使（某人）准确说出细节;迫使（某人）作出决定
to make someone give you exact details or a firm decision about something
They nailed him down to a specific time and place. 他们迫使他确定了时间和地点。
nail something down informal敲定（协议）;最终确定（或决定）
If you nail down an arrangement or decision, you decide and agree to the details of it.
After a five-hour meeting, we finally nailed down a deal. 开了5个小时的会后，我们最终达成了一项协议。
US informal完全理解;正确描述
to understand something completely, or to describe something correctly
We haven't been able to nail down the cause of the fire yet. 我们仍未弄清火灾的起因。
nail something on 确保
to make something very certain or definite
Australia seem likely to get to the semis, and a win today would nail it on. 澳大利亚看来会进入半决赛，如果今天他们赢了那就板上钉钉了。