What device is used to cut and shape fingernails?

The device used to cut and shape fingernails is a nail clipper.

A nail clipper is a small hand tool that trims fingernails by bringing two sharp cutting edges together. Many models include a miniature file, allowing users to smooth rough edges after cutting. Standard clippers are often made from stainless steel, although plastic and aluminum versions also exist.

Nail clippers come in two major designs: compound-lever clippers, common in household manicure kits, and plier-style clippers. Their cutting heads also differ. Concave cutting edges are generally intended for fingernails, while convex edges are designed for toenails.

Before modern clippers, people trimmed their nails with small knives or other sharp tools. The first United States patent for an improvement in fingernail clippers was filed by Valentine Fogerty in 1875. A nail file can shape and smooth a nail but does not normally cut it, while a cuticle pusher acts on the skin around the nail rather than the nail itself.