varnish
/ˈvɑː(ɹ)nɪʃ/ noun, verb
Forms varnishes varnishing varnished vernish
- noun A clear or translucent liquid coating composed of resin dissolved in a solvent, which dries by evaporation to form a hard, protective, and typically glossy finish.
- noun Anything resembling such a coating; a glossy appearance.
- noun (figuratively, by extension) A deceptively showy appearance.
- noun (rail transport, US, informal, dated) A passenger train, probably derived from the varnished passenger cars used at one time.
- verb (intransitive) To apply varnish.
- verb (transitive) To cover up with varnish.
- verb (transitive) To make something superficially or deceptively attractive “varnish the report”
- verb (transitive) To gloss over a defect.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English vernisch, vernish, from Old French vernis, from Medieval Latin vernix, veronix, from Byzantine Greek Βερενίκη (Bereníkē, “Berenice”), a town in Cyrenaica, now called Benghazi.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A viscid liquid, consisting of a solution of resinous matter in an oil or a volatile liquid, laid on work with a brush, or otherwise.
- noun That which resembles varnish, either naturally or artificially; a glossy appearance.
- verb To lay varnish on; to cover with a liquid which produces, when dry, a hard, glossy surface; as, to varnish a table; to varnish a painting.
- verb To cover or conceal with something that gives a fair appearance; to give a fair coloring to by words; to gloss over; to palliate; as, to varnish guilt. "Beauty doth varnish age." Shak.
Etymology [OE. vernish, F. vernis, LL. vernicium; akin to F. vernir to varnish, fr. (assumed) LL. vitrinire to glaze, from LL. vitrinus glassy, fr. L. vitrum glass. See Vitreous.]
Etymology [Cf. F. vernir, vernisser. See Varnish, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “varnish”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details