toenail

1 of 2

noun

toe·​nail ˈtō-ˌnāl How to pronounce toenail (audio)
-ˈnāl
: a nail of a toe

toenail

2 of 2

verb

toenailed; toenailing; toenails

transitive verb

: to fasten by toed nails : toe

Examples of toenail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Assuming that most people in its target audience probably won’t have any interest in questions, and will have more interest in checking their phones or monitoring the roast in the oven or clipping toenails, Tracker feels well-suited for a long broadcast run. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Feb. 2024 The recommendation was to amputate his toe, but Marley refused (reportedly due to religious beliefs) and chose to just remove the toenail instead. Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 15 Feb. 2024 Her body began overproducing skin cells that caused her nails to pit – a condition that occurs when the surrounding skin thickens and lifts fingernails and toenails out of the nail beds. Essence, 9 Jan. 2024 The woman had long red hair pulled back into a ponytail and pink polish on her toenails, and a pair of Wrangler jeans and blue bandana had been stuffed under her head. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Aug. 2023 This helps keep your toenails from bashing into the sides, prevents blisters, and provides a secure fit for stability on uneven terrain. Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2024 Fissures had formed in the 55-year-old Asian elephant’s foot pads, and her toenails had cracked and become ingrown. Rachel Nuwer, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024 Pieces of skin, fingernails, toenails and possibly a kidney were also found in the bog, police said. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 2024 But James’ foot appeared to officials to be on the line, the Lakers star coming up a toenail short of another memorable moment. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2023
Verb
Most often, tea tree oil is used to treat athlete's foot, toenail fungal infections, and acne. Sherri Gordon, Verywell Health, 16 Feb. 2024 There’s an early, teasing and quintessentially Coppola-esque shot of Priscilla’s bare feet, her toenails freshly painted, sinking into the carpet and barely leaving an imprint. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023 In addition to blood and nasal fluid, these kids also give researchers samples of their pee, poop, saliva (a fancy name for spit) and toenail clippings. Rita Zeidner, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2023 Also known as onychomycosis, toenail fungus infections thrive in warm and damp environments. James Robinson, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2022 The stainless steel, heavy-duty, toenail clipper has straight and sharp blades that are strong enough to cut thick toenails. ELLE, 1 July 2022 People have asked me for panties, bras or lingerie, toenail clippings, all sorts of things like that. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2022 Just like its sister Poppy, the Posey is graciously fool-proof, even for those of us who are quicker to forego toenail polish rather than paint ourselves. Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, 27 Oct. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toenail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1691, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toenail was in 1691

Dictionary Entries Near toenail

Cite this Entry

“Toenail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toenail. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

toenail

noun
toe·​nail
-ˌnāl,
-ˈnā(ə)l
: a nail of a toe

Medical Definition

toenail

noun
: a nail of a toe

More from Merriam-Webster on toenail

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