cuticle

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   The thin strip of hard skin that sits at the base of a fingernail or toenail.

   Grammar: Countable: you can talk about one cuticle or several cuticles.

   Patterns

   • push back the cuticles
   • cut the cuticles

   She gently pushed back her cuticles before polishing her nails.

   A good hand cream softens the cuticle around each nail.

   He had a small cut on the cuticle of his thumb.

2. 2nouncountablebiology

   The outer protective layer of an insect or other invertebrate.

   Grammar: Countable: insects have one cuticle, but different parts may be described as cuticles.

   Patterns

   • the insect's cuticle
   • a hard cuticle

   The beetle's cuticle is thick and shiny.

   Scientists study the cuticle to learn how insects resist water loss.

   The cuticle must be shed for the insect to grow.

3. 3nouncountablebiology

   The waxy layer on the surface of a plant leaf or stem that reduces water loss.

   Grammar: Countable, but often used with 'the': the cuticle of the leaf.

   Patterns

   • the leaf cuticle
   • a waxy cuticle

   The leaf's cuticle helps it survive in dry conditions.

   A thick cuticle protects the plant from losing too much water.

   You can see the shiny cuticle on the holly leaves.

Word forms

Common combinations

push back the cuticles

Use the stick to push back the cuticles.

cuticle cream

She applied cuticle cream to her dry nails.

cuticle oil

Cuticle oil keeps the skin around nails healthy.

nail cuticle

The nail cuticle can become infected if you bite it.

Synonyms and how they differ

eponychium

The technical medical term for the cuticle at the base of a nail; use it in scientific contexts, not everyday speech.

Word family

cuticular adjective

Relating to a cuticle, especially in biology.

Commonly confused: cuticle or cutlery? cuticle or cutlass?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “cuticle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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