French word

coiffer

Pronunciation

IPA/kwafe/

Meaning

  • verbcomb

Example

Elle coiffe sa fille avant l'école.

She combs her daughter's hair before school.

Illustration for coiffer (comb)

More examples

Il se coiffe devant le miroir.

He combs his hair in front of the mirror.

Core concept

A hand gives hair its final shape or puts headwear in position.

Common phrases

  • se coiffer

    comb one's hair

  • coiffer les cheveux

    comb the hair

  • coiffer quelqu'un

    comb someone's hair

Similar words

peigner: To comb through hair to make it neat.
brosser: To use a brush to smooth and neaten hair.
démêler: To free hair from tangles and leave it smooth.
arranger: To adjust the hair's shape slightly for a tidy look.

Definition in French

Donner une forme et mettre en ordre les cheveux pour qu'ils paraissent soignés, ou, par extension, poser un couvre-chef sur la tête.

Word origin

French derived coiffer from coiffe, an Old French word for a cap or other head covering, by adding the verbal ending -er.

Usage tips

  • Coiffer ses cheveux focuses on arranging the hair, while peigner ses cheveux focuses more specifically on combing it.

Other meanings

  • styleverb
  • put a hat on ___verb

Opposites

  • décoiffermess up someone's hairverb

Related words

Word lists with this word