pedicure
Americannoun
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professional care and treatment of the feet, as removal of corns and trimming of toenails.
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a single treatment of the feet.
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a podiatrist.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of pedicure
From the French word pédicure, dating back to 1835–45. See pedi-, cure
Explanation
A pedicure is a treatment for your feet that feels good and usually leaves you with brightly painted toenails. You might have a pedicure as part of a visit to a spa — your toenails will be trimmed, filed, and polished, and your feet might even be massaged. When the attention is focused on your toes, it's a pedicure, while the same kind of treatment on your hands and fingernails is called a manicure. The word pedicure has Latin roots: ped, or "foot," and curare, "to care for."
Vocabulary lists containing pedicure
Body Language: Ped, Pod ("Foot")
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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.
See Examples For:
My wife and I enjoyed a gel manicure and the signature Luxury Foot Retreat pedicure, complete with warm neck wraps and beverages.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
I think it may be the single most revolting pedicure in the history of film.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
The head of Congress has demanded that MP Lucinda Vasquez be punished after she was photographed lounging on a sofa in her office while an adviser gave her a pedicure.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2025
Minutes earlier she was giving a customer a pedicure in a busy nail bar, but ran out the back when officers raided the shop.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2024
When we go to my room and take off the dress, Mrs. Walton says the next step is to get a manicure and pedicure.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
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The nail salon where we’d last enjoyed pedicures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
Angel Nail Salon, just 10 minutes from Apocalypse BBQ, offers hair and nail services at a great price point, making it an ideal stop for manicures, pedicures, or even a blowout before a night out.
From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026
If you are generally in good health, regular pedicures at a nail salon may be an option — and allow you to avoid the cost of uncovered services at a podiatrist’s office, Kor says.
From Washington Post ● May 1, 2023
After stripping those out, services inflation — which includes health care, restaurant meals, pedicures and other non-goods purchases — has remained unusually rapid and has shown little sign of slowing down.
From New York Times ● Feb. 14, 2023
Grammy will never go for pedicures or enjoy shopping for pretty dresses.
From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.