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fingernail

American  
[fing-ger-neyl] / ˈfɪŋ gərˌneɪl /

noun

  1. the nail at the end of a finger.

  2. Printing. a parenthesis.

fingernail British  
/ ˈfɪŋɡəˌneɪl /

noun

  1. a thin horny translucent plate covering part of the dorsal surface of the end joint of each finger

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fingernail

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; finger, nail

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Researchers are now working on a clear nail polish that could make that possible by turning long fingernails into touchscreen-compatible styluses.

From Science Daily

As he took out a small notebook and began to read names from it, I was suddenly conscious of my rumpled clothes, my long, ragged fingernails.

From Literature

The other officer nodded in response, busy examining his fingernails, but I couldn’t help but flush at the compliment.

From Literature

He just sat there quietly and chewed his fingernails, which he did a lot, without thinking.

From Literature

“Keeping the dirt under my fingernails with projects like this, and watching shows as often as I do, you realize how hard and how much creativity and magic there are around shows,” Lovett said.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.