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

Dining at the resort is also offering Valentine's Day specific menus featuring bone marrow tartare, pink lady oysters and more; and the spa is offering specials for manicures and pedicures, facials or massages. —Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 3 Feb. 2026

Even her nails were on the simpler side, with a perfectly pretty French manicure topped off with subtly shimmering tips. —Marci Robin, Allure, 2 Feb. 2026

Verb

Artificial Lawns Designers say lawns that look overly manicured, patchy, or obviously artificial can quickly make an outdoor space feel off. —Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 28 Jan. 2026

Men’s nails were manicured and painted in a plethora of colors. —Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 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"