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.

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

This is a sentiment echoed by Lucas Lane, 15, who runs an online business selling nail polish to boys.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2024

“We knew it wasn’t nail polish or paint, but it was similar to that.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2024

Before that though, she’d paint them herself with different shades of drug store nail polish from red, green, blue and sometimes even do French tips.

From Salon • Aug. 11, 2024

The nail polish also points to maybe her still being in the area?

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

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