doornail etymology

Etymology:

• Middle English: dornail, from Old English þornnægl, literally "thorn nail"

Meaning:

• A short, headless nail with a sharp point, used for attaching leather or fabric to wood or other materials.
• Figuratively, something that is dead, obsolete, or worthless.

Origin:

The Middle English term "dornail" comes from the Old English compound noun "þornnægl," which combines the words "þornn" (thorn) and "nægl" (nail). The term "thorn" refers to the sharp point of the nail, while "nail" denotes the metal object used for fastening.

The use of the word "dornail" in a figurative sense, meaning something that is useless or expendable, arose from the observation that doornails were often small and easily lost. Once a doornail was lost, it became effectively worthless, and the term "as dead as a doornail" came to represent something that was completely lifeless or useless.

doornail relate terms

• door

  Etymology The word door comes from the Old English word dor pronounced door whi

• nail

  Etymology The word nail has multiple etymological origins Germanic nagul or nagl n

• terrific

  Etymology Middle English from Anglo French terrifien from Latin terrificāre from te

• regulate

  Etymology The word regulate originates from the Latin word regularis meaning accor

• modesty

  Etymology of Modesty The word modesty originates from the Latin word modestia whic

• penthouse

  Etymology Penthouse is derived from the Middle English word pentiz or pentise which

• privilege

  Etymology Latin privilegium Proto Indo European pr̥ḱ li s before the law Mea

• bunting

  Etymology The word bunting has two distinct origins Old English bunt meaning a f

• Beelzebub

  Etymology The name Beelzebub is derived from two Hebrew words Baal בַּעַל

• threshold

  Etymology Old English therscwald doorsill threshold From Proto Germanic threskō

• trivial

  Etymology The term trivial is derived from the Latin word trivialis which means per