What does coiffuring mean?
Coiffuring is the act of arranging and styling someone's hair, especially with care, skill, or elaborateness. It functions as the present participle of the verb "to coiffure," which English borrowed from French, and it can also serve as a noun denoting the activity of hair-styling itself. The word belongs to a small elegant cluster of terms — coiffure, coiffeur, coiffeuse — that English took from French to lend sophistication to the world of salons and personal grooming. In tone, coiffuring sounds formal and slightly old-fashioned, calling to mind the era of set hair, lacquer, and weekly salon appointments; most modern speakers would simply say "styling" or "doing hair." It remains useful when a writer wants to suggest luxury, ritual, or meticulous attention to appearance, whether describing backstage preparations at a fashion show or a bygone society's beauty customs. Its ultimate root lies in a late Latin word for a cap, making it a rare case where the language of headwear gave rise to the language of hairstyling.
To style, arrange, or dress (a person's hair), especially in an elaborate or professional way.
"A stylist spent the morning coiffuring the cast for their period-drama portraits."
Almost always encountered in its -ing form; the bare infinitive "coiffure" is rare outside very formal writing.
The action or practice of styling hair; hairdressing considered as an activity.
"Coiffuring was once a weekly social ritual among the well-to-do."
Every time you say "coiffure," you're echoing a French word whose ancestor, "cofia," meant a little cap — hairdressing vocabulary literally grew out of headgear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of coiffuring
English borrowed the verb "coiffure" from French "coiffer," meaning to dress the hair, which itself derives from "coiffe," a headdress or hairstyle. The French term traces back through Old French "coife" (a cap or hood) to Late Latin "cofia," also the source of the English word "coif." The gerund/participle form "coiffuring" followed the regular English pattern for verbs borrowed from French, and its relatives coiffeur and coiffeuse entered English as terms for a (male) hairdresser and a (female) hairdresser respectively.
Related word forms
How coiffuring is actually used
Somewhat formal and rather old-fashioned or high-toned in flavor; everyday speech prefers simply "doing hair," "styling," or "hairdressing." The word carries connotations of elegance, expense, and elaborate treatment, often evoking mid-twentieth-century salon culture.
Easily confused with coiffuring
"Coiffure" is chiefly a noun meaning a hairstyle itself, while "coiffuring" refers to the act or process of styling the hair.
"Quaffing" means drinking heartily, whereas "coiffuring" means styling hair; they differ in both meaning and initial consonant.