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Definition of hangnail

hangnail

/ˈhæŋ.neɪl/
hang · nail
Plural:hangnails
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hangnail Lexical Profile

hangnail Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A small, torn piece of dead or dried skin that hangs loose at the side or base of a fingernail.

Example

"She used a pair of sanitized manicure scissors to carefully trim the painful hangnail on her thumb."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for hangnail

• Nearby Words

hanger
hanging
hangman
hangnail
hangout
hangover
hangry

Word Origin & Etymology

An alteration by folk etymology of earlier 'agnail' (from Old English 'angnægl', literally 'painful spike'), originally denoting a hard corn on the foot before shifting to a torn strip of skin hanging near a fingernail.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Hangnail. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/hangnail
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