Standard Lemma guide

manicure

noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈmæ.nɪ.kjʊɹ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M AE1 N IH0 K Y ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A cosmetic treatment for the fingernails.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A manicurist.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To apply such a treatment to the hands.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To polish or trim something very finely or evenly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

professional care for the hands and fingernails

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beauty treatment, care, attention, aid, tending

6

verb

Meaning 6

care for (one's hand) by cutting and shaping the nails, etc.

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: groom, neaten

7

verb

Meaning 7

trim carefully and neatly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • manicure fingernails

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cut

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh2-der. Proto-Italic *manus Latin manus Proto-Indo-European *kwey- Proto-Indo-European *kweys-der. Proto-Italic *kwoizā Latin cūra French manucurebor. English manicure From French manucure, coming from Latin manus, hand, and cura, care.

Across languages

Translations

42 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مَانِيكِير (manikēr) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Arabic: تَجْمِيل الْيَدَيْن (tajmīl al-yadayn) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Arabic: تَجْمِيل الْأَظَافِر (tajmīl al-ʔaẓāfir) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Arabic: مَنِكير (manikēr) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Azerbaijani: manikür — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Belarusian: манікю́р (manikjúr) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Bulgarian: маникю́р (manikjúr) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Chinese Cantonese: 修甲 (sau1 gaap3) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Chinese Mandarin: 修指甲 (xiūzhǐjia) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Chinese Mandarin: 修指 (xiūzhǐ) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Czech: manikúra — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Estonian: maniküür — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Finnish: manikyyri — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • French: manucure — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • German: Maniküre — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Hungarian: manikűr — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Japanese: マニキュア (manikyua) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Kazakh: маникюр (manikür) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Korean: 매니큐어 (maenikyueo) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Korean: 손톱물감 (sontommulgam) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Latvian: manikīrs — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Lithuanian: manikiūras — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Norwegian Bokmål: manikyr — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: manikyr — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Persian: مانیکور (mânikur) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Polish: manicure — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Polish: manikiur — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Portuguese: manicure — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Portuguese: manicura — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Russian: маникю́р (manikjúr) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Serbo-Croatian: маникир — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Serbo-Croatian: manikir — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Slovak: manikúra — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Spanish: manicura — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Spanish: maniquiur — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Spanish: manicure — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Spanish: manicur — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Spanish: maniquiú — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Swedish: manikyr — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Turkish: manikür — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Ukrainian: манікю́р (manikjúr) — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails
  • Vietnamese: sửa móng tay — cosmetic treatment for the fingernails