doornail
Doornail (noun) means a large-headed nail traditionally used to build and decorate wooden doors. Example: “The old door was studded with rusted doornails.”
How to use doornail
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA heavy nail used in old-fashioned doors, best known from the idiom "dead as a doornail."
Word forms
- Plural
- doornails
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The old door was studded with rusted _____.
Etymology
A compound of "door" and "nail," mostly remembered today through the phrase "dead as a doornail."