noun
doornail
noun
1
A large-headed nail traditionally used to build and decorate wooden doors.
"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."
Common pairings
dead as a doornail
Word Forms
doornails plural
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The old door was studded with rusted _____.
Etymology
A compound of "door" and "nail," mostly remembered today through the phrase "dead as a doornail."