nail file

American  

noun

• nail files
  plural

1. a small file of metal or cardboard, for trimming, smoothing, or shaping the fingernails and sometimes having a point for removing dirt from under them.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• nail files
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nail file

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Compare meaning

How does nail-file compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• emery board vs. nail file

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nail file

Using these tools and a nail file that Starr had slipped in her pocket when she used the restroom, they cut the zip ties and came up with a plan.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2025

"And you can sit there with a nail file and try to pry the chiton off; you will lose."

From Science Daily ● Mar. 4, 2024

Trim toenails straight across, and use a nail file on corners, instead of cutting them.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 18, 2022

Tom moved back in with his parents for five years while he developed the curvy nail file that made him famous.

From BBC ● May 6, 2021

One day he brought a pumice stone out of his suit jacket pocket, and cream; he brandished a nail file, cuticle scissors, a bottle of nail polish.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen