cut nail

noun

1. a nail having a tapering rectangular form with a blunt point, made by cutting from a thin rolled sheet of iron or steel.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cut nail¹

An Americanism dating back to 1785–95

Example Sentences

A cut nail or other piece of metal driven into the slots fastens the jaws on the T-beam.

From Project Gutenberg

Then came a better nail of wrought iron, clumsy but effective; and, later still, the cut nail in sole use a generation ago.

From Project Gutenberg