hangnail
A small piece of torn skin near a fingernail or toenail. Often painful and can become inflamed. The synonym ささくれ is also common.
See also: ささくれ
I have a hangnail on my finger and it hurts.
If you pull on a hangnail too hard, it will bleed.
Kanji spelling; learners may encounter it but kana is preferred.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; less common than pure kana.
Compound of 逆 (saka, 'reverse, against') and むけ (muke, from 剥ける, 'to peel'). Literally 'reverse peeling', referring to skin that peels back against the natural direction.