cuticle
Skin edging nails
Cuticle most commonly refers to the thin strip of skin at the base of a fingernail or toenail, the part that manicurists push back or trim.
In biology, cuticle has broader application: it's any protective outer layer covering an organism, such as the waxy coating on plant leaves that prevents water loss, or the tough external layer of insects and other arthropods.
She pushed back her cuticles before applying nail polish.
Skin under fingernails
- lunulaNail base crescent
- keratinStructural hair protein
- matrixOrdered numerical arrangement
- hangnailTorn cuticle fragment
trimming · pusher · nippers · remover · oil · cream · softening · ragged
External skeletal structure
- chitinArthropod shell polymer
- moltingPeriodic shedding of covering
- arthropodJointed-limb invertebrate phylum
- sheddingLosing outer covering
hardened · segmented · protective · layer · outer · shell · carapace · instar
Outermost tissue layer
- waxyResembling paraffin's texture
- leafPlant's photosynthetic organ
- coatingApplied surface covering
- transpirationBotanical water vapor release
stomata · waterproof · protective · plant · stem · fruit · grape · tomato
nailbed
Skin under fingernails
hangnail · trimming · pusher · nippers · remover · oil · cream · softening · ragged · torn
exoskeleton
External skeletal structure
- chitinArthropod shell polymer
- moltingPeriodic shedding of covering
- arthropodJointed-limb invertebrate phylum
shedding · hardened · segmented · protective · layer · outer · shell · carapace · instar
epidermis
Outermost tissue layer
transpiration · stomata · waterproof · protective · plant · stem · fruit · grape · tomato · bloom
trimming
Cutting away excess
pusher · remover · oil · softening · cream · salon · pampering · acrylics · gel · polish
epidermis
Outermost tissue layer
barrier · protective · outer · stratum · dead · cells · shedding · renewal · moisture · dryness
- nailsnails, common nail, fingernails, finishing nail, toenails
- digit anatomyfinger, thumb, toe, phalanx, phalanges
- nail partsnail bed, nail plate, lunula, free edge, matrix
- plant anatomyroot, stem, leaves, stems, leaf
- handspalm, fingers, thumb, knuckles, fingertips
- outer layersshell, shells, skin, skins, bark
cuticlenail plate
Visible keratin fingertip layer
nail · nail bed · free edge · fingernail · toenail
cuticledermis
Living tissue under epidermis
epidermis · living tissue · inner layers · mesophyll · cortex
cuticlemesophyll
Photosynthetic tissue in leaves
cortex · pith · vascular tissue · stele · parenchyma
- cuticle oilMoisturizer for nail edges
- cuticle careMaintaining skin around nails
- cuticle pusherNail maintenance tool
- cuticle scissorsSmall shears for nail edges
- cuticle pickingPeeling skin around nails
- cuticle trimmerTool for nail-bed skin