Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [hit stressed th ee neyl on, awn stressed th ee hed]
- /hɪt stressed ði neɪl ɒn, ɔn stressed ði hɛd/
- /hɪt ðə neɪl ɒn ðə hed/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [hit stressed th ee neyl on, awn stressed th ee hed]
- /hɪt stressed ði neɪl ɒn, ɔn stressed ði hɛd/
Definitions of hit the nail on the head words
- noun hit the nail on the head a slender, typically rod-shaped rigid piece of metal, usually in any of numerous standard lengths from a fraction of an inch to several inches and having one end pointed and the other enlarged and flattened, for hammering into or through wood, other building materials, etc., as used in building, in fastening, or in holding separate pieces together. 1
- noun hit the nail on the head a thin, horny plate, consisting of modified epidermis, growing on the upper side of the end of a finger or toe. 1
- noun hit the nail on the head a former measure of length for cloth, equal to 2¼ inches (6.4 cm). 1
- verb with object hit the nail on the head to fasten with a nail or nails: to nail the cover on a box. 1
- verb with object hit the nail on the head to enclose or confine (something) by nailing (often followed by up): to nail up oranges in a crate. 1
- verb with object hit the nail on the head to make fast or keep firmly in one place or position: Surprise nailed him to the spot. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of hit the nail on the head
First appearance:
before 900 One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; (noun) Middle English nail(l), nayl(l), Old English nægl, cognate with Old Frisian neil, Old Saxon, Old High German nagal, Dutch nagel, German Nagel, Old Norse nagl fingernail, all < Germanic *naglaz; akin as derivative to Lithuanian nãgas, nagà hoof, OPruss nage foot, OCS noga leg, foot (Serbo-Croatian nòga, Czech noha, Russian nogá; probably orig. jocular reference to the foot as a hoof), OCS nogŭtĭ, Tocharian A maku, B mekwa fingernail, claw, all < North European Indo-European *Honogwh-; further akin to Old Irish ingen, Welsh ewin, Breton ivin < Celtic *ṇgwhīnā, Latin unguis < Italo-Celtic *Hongwhi-; Greek ónyx, stem onych-, Armenian ełungn < *Honogwh-; (v.) Middle English nail(l)(e), nayl(l)e(n), Old English næglian, cognate with Old Saxon neglian, Old High German negilen, Old Norse negla < Germanic *nagl-janan; compare Gothic ganagljan
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Hit the nail on the head
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
hit the nail on the head popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 98% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with h
- Words starting with hi
- Words starting with hit
- Words starting with hitt
- Words starting with hitth
- Words starting with hitthe
- Words starting with hitthen
- Words starting with hitthena
- Words starting with hitthenai
- Words starting with hitthenail
- Words starting with hitthenailo
- Words starting with hitthenailon
- Words starting with hitthenailont
- Words starting with hitthenailonth