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Glite Dictionary
stub nail

stub nail

7.4
A short thick metal spike used to hold things when length is not needed
  • noun
translation icon : clavo corto
  • He used a stub nail to attach the bracket to the wall, as it did not require deep fastening.

Examples

  • A stub nail is ideal for projects where a standard nail would be too long or cumbersome.

  • You can find a variety of stub nails at the local hardware store.

  • He used a stub nail to fix the loose board.

  • The carpenter bought some stub nails for the project.

  • A stub nail is perfect for securing heavier items where a longer nail would be unnecessary.

  • She picked up a stub nail from the toolbox to quickly fasten the wooden pieces together.

  • Using a stub nail, he easily attached the shelf without worrying about it being too long.

Synonyms

clout nail
vsstub nail
  • UK
8.4

A short nail with a large flat head to fasten thin metal to wood

is a short thick fastener for securing things when extra length is unnecessary

How Long

to spike
  • NSFW
17 3.7
nail
184 1.0
stub nail
7.4
tack
17 2.2
brad
460 7.8

Surface Forms

stub nail singular
stub nails plural

Morphology

stub + nail

The meaning 'a short, thick nail...' is directly and compositionally derived from 'stub' (a short leftover end) modifying 'nail' (a metal pin). This simple attributive pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The compound noun stub nail comes from the words stub, meaning a short stump, and nail, so imagine a nail cut very short that looks like a little stump. That's why a stub nail means 'a short, thick nail used where length is not required'.