fingernails

fin-ger-nails · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    The hard, protective coverings at the tips of the fingers, made of keratin.

  2. 2.

    The condition or appearance of these coverings.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    bite one's fingernails — to chew on fingernails, often as a nervous habit
  • •
    hang on by one's fingernails — to barely manage to survive or succeed
  • •
    fingernails on a chalkboard — a sound that is extremely unpleasant

Related words

See also: fingernail, nail, toenails
Synonyms: nails

Etymology

Compound word from Old English finger ("finger") + nægel ("nail"). Both words derive from Proto-Germanic roots.