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Glite Dictionary
🦶 A toe's nail 🔨 To nail at angle
to toenail

to toenail

1 9.5
To join two pieces of wood by driving a nail at an angle through one into the other
  • verb
  • /ˈtoʊˌneɪl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : clavar en diagonal
  • Make sure to toenail the frame together before adding the roof.

Examples

  • You can toenail the boards at an angle to ensure they hold tightly.

  • Remember to toenail the joints securely for a sturdy structure.

  • And then that way we can kind of toenail whatever we need through this one.

  • Let's face it, either candidate, if he becomes President, will fight tooth and toenail to preserve the global Empire as long as possible, as will both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

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Synonyms

to nail
vsto toenail
85 1.0

To attach something with a thin pointed piece of metal

is an angled method for joining two wood pieces rather than general fastening
to toe
vsto toenail
  • Specialized
1 8.4

To drive a nail at an angle into wood to make a stronger hold

focuses on fastening two wood pieces by driving through one into the other

Compounds

ingrown toenail
1 4.5

A nail on the toe that grows into the skin and causes pain and redness

How Strong

to nail
85 1.0
to toenail
  • Specialized
1 9.5
to tack
30 4.9

Surface Forms

toenail infinitive
toenailed past
toenailed past participle
toenailing present participle
toenails third person singular

Morphology

toenail = toenail (opaque) = toe + nail

The verb is a conversion from the carpentry noun 'toenail', but the specialized meaning is not predictable from the ordinary meanings of 'toe' and 'nail' for most learners.

Etymology

Toenail as a verb comes from a builder image: a nail driven in at an angle, like a toe leaning in to hold things together, and carpenters call this 'toenailing'. So, to toenail is to fasten two pieces of wood by driving a nail in at an angle.