- 1a thin hard layer covering the outer tip of the fingers or toes Stop biting your nails! nail clippers see fingernail, toenail
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2a small, thin, pointed piece of metal with a flat head, used for hanging things on a wall or for joining pieces of wood together She hammered the nail in. Topic CollocationsDecorating and Home Improvementhouses
- refurbish/renovate a building/a house
- convert a building/house/room into homes/offices/ apartments/condominiums/condos
- extend/enlarge a house/building/room/kitchen
- build an addition (on/to something)/a sunroom/a deck
- knock down/demolish a house/home/building/wall
- knock out/down the wall separating two rooms
- furnish/paint/repaint a home/house/apartment/room
- be decorated in bright colors/in a traditional style/with flowers/with paintings
- paint/plaster the walls/ceiling
- hang/put up/strip off/remove (the) wallpaper
- install/replace/remove the bathroom fixtures
- build/put up shelves
- lay wooden flooring/timber decking/floor tiles/a carpet/a patio floor
- put up/hang/take down a picture/painting/poster/curtain
- do carpentry/the plumbing/the wiring (yourself)
- make home improvements
- add/install central heating/underfloor heating/insulation
- install double-glazing/a smoke alarm
- insulate your house/your home/the walls/the pipes/the tanks/the attic
- fix/repair a roof/a leak/a pipe/the plumbing/a leaking faucet
- block/clog (up)/unblock/unclog a pipe/sink/drain
- make/drill/fill a hole
- hammer (in)/pull out/remove a nail
- tighten/loosen/remove a screw
- saw/cut/treat/stain/varnish/paint wood
Idioms - 1very strong and able to deal successfully with difficult conditions or situations She's almost 90 but she's still as tough as nails.
- 2not feeling or showing any emotion
to fight in a very determined way for what you want The residents are fighting tooth and nail to stop the new development.
showing no sympathy, kindness, or fear
to say something that is exactly right
something that makes the end or failure of an organization, someone's plans, etc. more likely to happen This latest defeat is another nail in the government's coffin.
Check pronunciation: nail