manicure

1 of 2

noun

man·​i·​cure ˈma-nə-ˌkyu̇r How to pronounce manicure (audio)
1
2
: a treatment for the care of the hands and fingernails

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Keeping in line with all the other It girls, her nails appeared bare—kind of like the no makeup-makeup look, but for manicures. Sam Reed, Glamour, 30 June 2025 Around for nearly a century, the half-moon manicure—in which the lunula of the fingernail is emphasized either with a contrasting color or negative space—comes back into fashion every few years. Marci Robin, Allure, 25 June 2025
Verb
Morris is fully vaccinated, bathed, manicured and microchipped – all ready for the good life to come. Maryanne Dell, Oc Register, 21 June 2025 The doorman building had a laundry room, a gym and manicured gardens. Anna Fixsen, New York Times, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for manicure

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 1

Verb

circa 1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of manicure was in 1877

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Manicure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manicure. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

manicure

1 of 2 noun
man·​i·​cure ˈman-ə-ˌkyu̇(ə)r How to pronounce manicure (audio)
: 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"

More from Merriam-Webster on manicure

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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