nail-biting

noun

: habitual biting at the fingernails usually being symptomatic of emotional tensions and frustrations

called also onychophagia, onychophagy

Dictionary Entries Near nail-biting

Cite this Entry

“Nail-biting.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/nail-biting. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on nail-biting

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!