Tooth And Nail

Pronunciation: /tuːθ ənd neɪl/

Definitions of tooth and nail

noun a hard, bonelike structure in the mouth used for biting and chewing food

Example Sentences

A1 She fought tooth and nail to protect her family.

A2 The two teams battled tooth and nail for the championship title.

B1 The company is fighting tooth and nail to stay ahead of the competition.

B2 The political candidates are going tooth and nail in the final days before the election.

C1 The lawyers are prepared to fight tooth and nail for their client's innocence.

C2 The rival companies are competing tooth and nail for the lucrative contract.

conjunction used to show that someone is making a great effort to fight or compete

Example Sentences

A1 I fought tooth and nail to pass my driving test.

A2 She defended her thesis tooth and nail against criticism.

B1 The two teams battled tooth and nail for the championship title.

B2 The company is willing to fight tooth and nail to secure the lucrative contract.

C1 The political candidates are expected to campaign tooth and nail for every vote.

C2 The lawyers are prepared to argue tooth and nail in court to win the case.

Examples of tooth and nail in a Sentence

formal The competitors fought tooth and nail to win the contract.

informal They were fighting tooth and nail over the last piece of cake.

slang The two teams were going at it tooth and nail during the game.

figurative She defended her thesis tooth and nail against any criticism.

Grammatical Forms of tooth and nail

• past tense: fought tooth and nail
• plural: teeth and nails
• comparative: more tooth and nail
• superlative: most tooth and nail
• present tense: fight tooth and nail
• future tense: will fight tooth and nail
• perfect tense: have fought tooth and nail
• continuous tense: fighting tooth and nail
• singular: tooth and nail
• positive degree: tooth and nail
• infinitive: to fight tooth and nail
• gerund: fighting tooth and nail
• participle: fighting tooth and nail

Origin and Evolution of tooth and nail

First Known Use: 1553 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'tooth and nail' originates from the idea of using all available means, including one's teeth and nails, to fight or defend oneself.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in a literal sense to describe physical combat, the phrase has evolved to also mean fighting fiercely or with great determination in a non-physical sense.