doornail

[ dawr-neyl, dohr- ]

noun

1. a large-headed nail formerly used for strengthening or ornamenting doors.

doornail

/ ˈdɔːˌneɪl /

noun

1. (as) dead as a doornail
   (as) dead as a doornail dead beyond any doubt

Word History and Origins

Origin of doornail¹

First recorded in 1300–50, doornail is from the Middle English word dornail. See door, nail

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. dead as a doornail, stone-dead:

   After midnight, the town is dead as a doornail.

More idioms and phrases containing doornail

see dead as a doornail .

Example Sentences

Bethany is dumb as a doornail, and seems to bore Don about as much as his high-profile clients do.

From The Daily Beast

Otherwise, slavish adaptations–being, punctiliously observant adaptations–are likely to be a dead doornail.

From The Daily Beast

The rat's dead as a doornail, and now all of us have got things to do, but fast!

From Project Gutenberg

And when the troll saw the sun he burst—and was as dead as a doornail!

From Project Gutenberg

He had been a great King but he was deader than a doornail now.

From Project Gutenberg

"Say, it's been deader'n a doornail around here for a week," confessed the Meadow Street youth.

From Project Gutenberg

A loud crack was heard, and she was seen to spring up and fall back upon the snow, dead as a doornail.

From Project Gutenberg