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

The rest of her glam followed her usual beauty rhythms with a bright red lip and burgundy manicure. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 12 June 2026

Coral is my summertime manicure color of choice. —Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 12 June 2026

Verb

Kardashian finished off her race-day glam with soft rose-brown makeup and her favorite super-short nails manicured in a milky, ultra-subtle color. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 8 June 2026

Just as wardrobes shift toward breezy dresses, tropical prints, and vibrant colors, manicures across the internet are following suit with romantic, dainty blooms of every variety appearing across fingertips. —Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 5 June 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"