Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A large-headed nail.
  • idiom (dead as a doornail) Undoubtedly dead.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A large nail or stud fixed in a door to receive the blow of a knocker of simple form.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The nail or knob on which in ancient doors the knocker struck; -- hence the old saying, “As dead as a doornail.”

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A nail with a wide head, traditionally used in the construction and ornamentation of wooden doors.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a nail with a large head; formerly used to decorate doors

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • Snow (UID#1832) on August 24th, 2009 at 5: 05 pm you clearly dont have the IQ of a doornail. a doornail is far smarter than you and it has a purpose.

    Woot Woot Moot | My[confined]Space 2009

  • One sure sign that the Senate health care bill is dead as a doornail is the inevitable appearance of the anonymously-sourced, finger-pointing articles.

    Firedoglake Jane Hamsher 2010

  • One sure sign that the Senate health care bill is dead as a doornail is the inevitable appearance of the anonymously-sourced, finger-pointing articles.

    The Washington Note 2010

  • One sure sign that the Senate health care bill is dead as a doornail is the inevitable appearance of the anonymously-sourced, finger-pointing articles.

    The Washington Note 2010

  • One sure sign that the Senate health care bill is dead as a doornail is the inevitable appearance of the anonymously-sourced, finger-pointing articles.

    Firedoglake 2010

  • One sure sign that the Senate health care bill is dead as a doornail is the inevitable appearance of the anonymously-sourced, finger-pointing articles.

    Firedoglake Jane Hamsher 2010

  • One sure sign that the Senate health care bill is dead as a doornail is the inevitable appearance of the anonymously-sourced, finger-pointing articles.

    Firedoglake 2010

  • Alan SparrowElmswell, Suffolk• Green shoots of economic recovery, deader than a doornail, Catford, 24 April.

    Letters: Revolutionary guard 2011

  • June 26th, 2009 3: 52 pm ET move on dot org ... you are something else altogether again, mind bogglingly misinformed, delusional and dip-wodd dumber than a doornail. dumb thugs.

    MoveOn ad campaign targets Hagan over 'public option' 2009

  • Anti-lib.theol. talking points are dead as a doornail 20 years after the cold war.

    Sad news: Liberation Theology is not dead « Anglican Samizdat 2009

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