noun C1 Advanced

manicure

MA-nih-kyuur

Manicure (noun) means a cosmetic treatment that cleans, shapes, and polishes the fingernails. Example: “She treated herself to a manicure before the wedding.”

noun

A cosmetic treatment that cleans, shapes, and polishes the fingernails.

"She treated herself to a manicure before the wedding."

verb

To give someone's nails such a treatment.

"The salon manicures both hands and feet."

To trim or groom something very neatly and precisely.

"The gardener manicured the lawn until every blade was even."

How to use manicure

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishNail care and grooming, or, more broadly, trimming something to look perfectly neat.

Common pairings

get a manicure manicured lawn manicured nails

Word forms

manicured past tense, manicures plural, manicures singular

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She treated herself to a _____ before the wedding.

Etymology

From French manucure, built from Latin manus ("hand") and cura ("care").

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for manicure

pure cure sure azure nature future manure secure impure injure figure allure

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Frequently asked questions

What does “manicure” mean?

The word “manicure” means a cosmetic treatment that cleans, shapes, and polishes the fingernails. In plain terms, nail care and grooming, or, more broadly, trimming something to look perfectly neat.

How do you pronounce “manicure”?

“Manicure” is pronounced MA-nih-kyuur (/ˈmæ.nɪ.kjʊɹ/ in IPA).

How do you use “manicure” in a sentence?

Here is “manicure” used in a sentence: “She treated herself to a manicure before the wedding.”

What part of speech is “manicure”?

Depending on how it is used, “manicure” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “manicure” come from?

The word “manicure” comes from Latin. From French manucure, built from Latin manus ("hand") and cura ("care").

How many meanings does “manicure” have?

“Manicure” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a cosmetic treatment that cleans, shapes, and polishes the fingernails.

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