Meaning
The horny plate or appendage at the ends of the digits of various animals, including most reptiles, birds, and mammals (both nonhuman and human).
Etymology
Origin: Old English
From Middle English nail, nayl, Old English næġl, from Proto-West Germanic *nagl, from Proto-Germanic *naglaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃nogʰ- (“nail”). Cognates Compare North Frisian Nail (“nail”), Saterland Frisian Nail (“nail”), West Frisian neil, German and Low German Nagel, Dutch and Swedish nagel, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål negl, Norwegian Nynorsk nagl, Finnish naula (“nail”), Estonian nael (“nail”), (compare Irish ionga, Latin unguis, Albanian nyell (“ankle, hard part of a limb”), Lithuanian nagas, Russian нога́ (nogá, “foot, leg”), но́готь (nógotʹ, “nail”), Ancient Greek ὄνυξ (ónux), Persian ناخن (nâxon), Sanskrit नख (nakhá).
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 52 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-10-03IABCHLN
- 2026-09-01ADILNTW
- 2026-07-03ADILNOR
- 2026-06-12NACILPT
- 2026-04-20LATIDNY
- 2026-03-26IADLMNO
- 2026-03-22ADLHGNI
- 2026-01-27IAGHLNU
- 2026-01-20AFTLINY
- 2026-01-01NATICLY
- 2025-12-12AZGOLIN
- 2025-11-29IATNHEL
+40 earlier appearances in the archive.