noun
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a thin horny translucent plate covering part of the dorsal surface of the end joint of each toe
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carpentry a nail driven obliquely, as in joining one beam at right angles to another
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slang printing a parenthesis
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
toenailsimple
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toenailssimple
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have toenailedperfect
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has toenailedperfect
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am toenailingprogressive
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are toenailingprogressive
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is toenailingprogressive
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have been toenailingperfect progressive
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has been toenailingperfect progressive
Past
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toenailedsimple
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had toenailedperfect
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was toenailingprogressive
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were toenailingprogressive
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had been toenailingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of toenail
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
First-round pick Cameron Carr also played against the Thunder after being limited by a bothersome toenail during the California Classic finale.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
One of the faces looked very similar, but when she looked more closely, the toenail polish didn't match.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Every muscle, every toenail, every metallic surface offers sharply focused detail.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 29, 2025
Eubank was admitted to hospital after the win and said he lost a toenail to "severe dehydration".
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2025
I say, leaning over and rasping the edge off a huge toenail.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
But there are no tales of lost toenails or infected blisters for her.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
“It really got in everywhere. All my toenails ended up turning black and falling off.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
A Peruvian politician who had one of her advisers cut her toenails in parliament could be facing the boot.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2025
He sports a thick ponytail and cargo pants, painted toenails poking out from his hiking sandals.
From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2025
On one occasion I had to clip her toenails.
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
Studding, 20-foot 2 × 8s, placed 3 feet on center and toenailed to sill.
From Economy of the Round Dairy Barn by Wilber John Fraser
He had used regular 16-penny nails toenailing these thick timbers together.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 11, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
