Meaning & use
finger nails
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
The hard, flat pieces that grow at the ends of your fingers and cover the tips.
Grammar: Countable noun; usually plural because there are several. Use 'a fingernail' for one.
Patterns
- finger nails on something
- cut your finger nails
- bite your finger nails
She painted her finger nails bright red.
He keeps his finger nails short for playing the guitar.
I broke a finger nail while opening the box.
Word forms
| singular | finger nail |
|---|
Common combinations
- long finger nails
- She has long finger nails that she decorates with tiny stickers.
- clean your finger nails
- Wash your hands and clean your finger nails before cooking.
- finger nail polish
- He bought a bottle of finger nail polish as a gift.
- finger nail clippers
- Use finger nail clippers, not scissors, to trim them.
- finger nail biting
- Finger nail biting is a common habit among children.
- finger nail file
- A finger nail file smooths the edges after you cut them.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nail
- More general; can refer to a fingernail or toenail, or to a metal pin used in building.
Word family
- fingernail noun
- The usual one-word spelling of the same thing.
Commonly confused: finger nails or toenails?
finger nails vs toenails
Toenails are on your toes, not your fingers. They are thicker and grow more slowly.
Practice
She painted her ______ bright red before the party.
Choose one answer.
The plural 'finger nails' is the natural choice here because she paints more than one nail. 'Finger nail' (singular) would mean only one nail, which is unlikely in this context. The other options are not standard English.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “finger nails”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.