Manicuring

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of grooming and shaping nails, often involving skin care and finish application for aesthetic enhancement
2. The procedure that focuses on the care, shaping, and beautification of nails and nearby skin to improve appearance
3. The practice involving the trimming, shaping, and polishing of nails along with the care of surrounding skin for improved visual appeal and hygiene

Etymology: "Manicuring" is the present participle of "manicure," which is the noun turned into a verb. The noun comes through French, where "manucure" joins Latin "manus," meaning hand, and "cura," meaning care. Together they describe care of the hands, and the English word keeps that sense even though it now covers nails and the surrounding skin. The second root is the more surprising one. "Cura" is also the ancestor of "cure" and "curious." A cure is care in its medical sense, and curiosity once meant carefulness and diligence before it came to mean a wish to know things. A session with a nail file therefore shares its roots with a doctor's treatment and a restless mind.

Synonyms: nail care, nail treatment