manicure

1 of 2

noun

man·​i·​cure ˈma-nə-ˌkyu̇r 

1

: a treatment for the care of the hands and fingernails

2

: manicurist

manicure

2 of 2

verb

manicured; manicuring

transitive verb

1

: to do manicure work on

especially : to trim and polish the fingernails of

2

a

: to trim closely and evenly

manicured lawns

b

: groom sense 2

manicured flower beds

Examples of manicure in a Sentence

Noun

She gets a manicure every week or so.

Verb

She spends her weekends working in her garden and manicuring her lawn.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

All guests get a regular or gel manicure and accent nail art. —The Editors, Curbed, 16 Apr. 2026

Ahead, InStyle spoke to the artist behind the star’s Grammys manicure and gathered 10 looks inspired by her ornate claws. —Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 13 Apr. 2026

Verb

Tortoiseshell manicures make for a sophisticated look and are trending this spring. —Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 13 Apr. 2026

On the field, perfectly manicured with a fresh Husky logo painted in the middle, the team went through varying individual and situational periods with limited contact and all of the units constantly rotating in and out. —Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Latin manus hand + French -icure (as in pédicure pedicure) — more at manual

First Known Use

Noun

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

circa 1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing manicure

• French manicure

Kids Definition

manicure

1 of 2 noun

man·​i·​cure ˈman-ə-ˌkyu̇(ə)r 

: a beauty treatment for the hands and nails

manicure

2 of 2 verb

manicured; manicuring

1

: to give a manicure to

2

: to trim closely and evenly

manicured their lawn

Etymology

Noun

from French manicure "one who gives a beauty treatment for the hands," derived from Latin manus "hand" and Latin cura "care"