Coiffing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of arranging and styling hair in a fashionable way
2. A method of dressing hair, often involving intricate techniques or accessories
3. The process of creating a specific hairdo that enhances appearance and personal style

Etymology: "Coiffing" is the present participle and gerund of "coiffe," the verb that means to arrange someone's hair. The verb itself is borrowed from French, where "coiffer" meant to put a covering on the head, and it traces back through Latin "cofia," a word for a cap or hood, which in turn was borrowed from Late Latin or Germanic sources. The head covering is the older sense, and hairdressing grew out of the idea of dressing the head. The noun "coiffure," meaning a style of arranging hair, came into English from French as well, and the verb came along with it. Because the word keeps the French spelling, English speakers often hear the final syllable as "fur" in "coiffure" but as "fwahr" in the verb, a reminder of its foreign origin.

Synonyms: styling, dressing