Quick (Noun)
Meaning
Any area of the body that is highly sensitive to pain (as the flesh underneath the skin or a fingernail or toenail).
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- The doctor warned her patient to be gentle when touching the quick of the toenail to avoid causing pain.
- The fungus had infected the quick under her fingernail, making even the slightest pressure extremely painful.
- After the accident, the doctor checked to see if the nail had been pushed into the quick, which could lead to more serious complications.
- She bit her nail down too far and got a painful hangnail right on the quick, which made eating and talking uncomfortable.
- Touching the quick of the fingernail while manicuring was a common hazard that nail technicians tried to avoid.