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nail polish

American

noun

a polish of quick-drying lacquer, either clear or colored, used to paint the fingernails or toenails.

nail polish British

noun

a quick-drying lacquer applied to colour the nails or make them shiny or esp both

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of nail polish

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She said she recognised her mother's from her red nail polish.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Earlier attempts to solve this problem involved adding conductive materials such as carbon nanotubes or metallic particles to nail polish.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

That includes Anew Material, a company making nail polish that it says is free of petrochemicals and microplastics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

Bonus: they offer an impressive nail polish selection that’s easy to browse online, so you can choose your exact shade before you even arrive.

From Salon • Feb. 2, 2026

Theresa looked away, noticing that though the girl’s jewelry, like her clothes, had been removed, her nail polish remained.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023