English → Chinese
nail
/BrE neɪl 
, AmE neɪl /
A noun
1 (metal spike) 钉子;
to hit the nail on the head figurative 一针见血;
cash on the nail informal 现金;
to pay on the nail informal 立即支付;
the first/last nail in sb's/sth's coffin figurative 给某人／某事物以开始／最后的致命一击
2 Anatomy 指甲;
to bite/paint one's nails 咬／涂指甲
B transitive verb
1 (fasten) 钉住;
to nail sth (to or on to or on sth); 把某物钉（到某物）上;
we nailed planks over the doors 我们在门上钉了木板;
to nail one's colours to the mast figurative 公开表态
2 figurative (fix) 固定 ‹person›; 集中 ‹attention›;
to nail one's eye(s) on sth 死死盯住某物;
to be nailed to the ground or to the spot 在原地动弹不得
3 figurative (expose) 揭穿 ‹myth, rumour›
4 informal (catch, arrest) 抓住 ‹debtor, criminal, culprit›
5 informal (bring down) 打中 ‹prey›
6 Sport informal 扣杀 ‹ball, smash, drive›
Phrasal verbs
● nail down:
transitive verb
1 [nail sth down, nail down sth] (fasten securely) 钉牢; figurative (define precisely) 确定 ‹origin, agreement›
2 to nail sb down (to sth) (make sb say precisely) 让某人（对某事）明确表态
● nail on:
transitive verb
1 [nail sth on, nail on sth] (fasten with nails) 钉上
2 to nail sth on sb figurative informal 指控某人犯有 ‹murder, arson›
● nail up
transitive verb
[nail sth up, nail up sth] 1 (fasten) 钉住 ‹poster, sign›;
to be nailed up (somewhere) figurative informal 被限制（在某处）
2 (make secure) 钉死 ‹door, window›