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doornail
door·nail
/
ˈdɔrˌneɪl, ˈdoʊr-
/
Show Spelled
[
dawr
-neyl,
dohr
-
]
Show IPA
noun
1.
a large-headed nail formerly used for strengthening or ornamenting doors.
Idioms
2.
dead as a doornail,
stone-dead:
After midnight, the town is dead as a doornail.
Origin:
1300–50;
Middle English
dornail.
See
door
,
nail
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To
doornail
Collins
World English Dictionary
doornail
(ˈdɔːˌneɪl)
—
n
(as) dead as a doornail
dead beyond any doubt
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Relevant Questions
What Is Door·nail?
What Exactly Is A Doorna...
What Is Door·nail?
What Exactly Is A Doorna...
00:10
Doornail
is always a great word to know.
So is
doohickey
. Does it mean:
So is
gobo
. Does it mean:
So is
ort
. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
doornail
see
dead as a doornail
.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Matching Quote
"The pangs of conscience, where are the pangs of conscience? Orestes and Clytemnestra, Reinhold doesn't even know the names of those fine folk. He simply hopes, heartily and sincerely, that Franz is dead as a
doornail
and won't be found."
-Alfred Döblin
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dead as a
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