varnish en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈvɑː(ɹ)nɪʃ/
- (US) audio
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.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) 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.
..; and this process should be continued until all the gum is properly dissolved, which is easily known by having an empty tin can to pour the varnish into, until near the last, which is to be poured into a gallon measure;...
1847, editorial staff, “White Hard Spirit of Wine Varnish”, in Scientific American, series 1, Volume 3, Issue 9, page 72:
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(countable, uncountable) Anything resembling such a coating; a glossy appearance.
the varnish of the holly and ivy
1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XII, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
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(broadly, countable, figuratively, uncountable) A deceptively showy appearance.
And set a double varnish on the fame / The Frenchman gave you.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii]:
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(US, countable, dated, informal, uncountable) A passenger train, probably derived from the varnished passenger cars used at one time.
Every transcontinental but two settled on the simple articulated for freight service, and all of them coupled their varnish to the 4-8-4.
1959, David P. Morgan, editor, Steam's Finest Hour, Kalmbach Publishing Co.:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| varnishes | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| vernish | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic |
Deriveds
varnish tree · varnishlike · nail varnish · varnish polish · varnishless · desert varnish · rock varnish · Japan varnish · varnishy
Descendants
Translations (97)
pt verniz (a deceptively showy appearance) · nb lakk (transparent paint) · es barniz (a deceptively showy appearance) · vi véc ni (transparent paint) · th น้ำมันชักเงา (transparent paint) · nb ferniss (transparent paint) · es corladura (transparent paint) · de Lack (transparent paint) · da fernis (a deceptively showy appearance) · tl barnis (transparent paint) · bg лустро (a deceptively showy appearance) · gv lossanagh (transparent paint) · hi वार्निश (transparent paint) · bg гланц (anything resembling such a paint) · gv varnish (transparent paint) · fa ورنی (transparent paint) · ar وَرْنِيش (transparent paint) · ja ワニス (transparent paint) · hu lakk (transparent paint) · lv laka (transparent paint) · sv lack (transparent paint) · az lak (transparent paint) · sh фи̏рна̄јз (transparent paint) · cs lak (transparent paint) · ky лак (transparent paint) · nn ferniss (transparent paint) · fi pintakiilto (a deceptively showy appearance) · ro lac (transparent paint) · ka ლაკი (transparent paint) · pt verniz (transparent paint) · eo verniso (transparent paint) · sk lesk (anything resembling such a paint) · uz lak (transparent paint) · sv fernissa (transparent paint) · bn বার্নিশ (transparent paint) · ko 바니시 (transparent paint) · sk lak (transparent paint) · ota روغن (transparent paint) · oc vernís (transparent paint) · et lakk (transparent paint) · cmn 清漆 (transparent paint) · de Firnis (anything resembling such a paint) · cmn 漆 (transparent paint) · ota ورنیك (transparent paint) · izh öljy (transparent paint) · lt lakas (transparent paint) · id pernis (transparent paint) · cy farnais (transparent paint) · sl lak (transparent paint) · fi lakka (anything resembling such a paint) · de Firnis (transparent paint) · uk лак (transparent paint) · tr vernik (transparent paint) · fi vernissa (transparent paint) · ru лак (transparent paint) · ro vernis (transparent paint) · vec vernize (transparent paint) · pl lakier (transparent paint) · ca vernís (transparent paint) · nn lakk (transparent paint) · ko 옻 (transparent paint) · fr vernis (transparent paint) · sq llak (transparent paint) · it vernice (transparent paint) · hu politúr (transparent paint) · ja 仮漆 (transparent paint) · sh fȉrnājz (transparent paint) · mkj parnij (transparent paint) · da lak (anything resembling such a paint) · tl alyamas (transparent paint) · ga vearnais (transparent paint) · mkj wanis (transparent paint) · ja ニス (transparent paint) · hy լաք (transparent paint) · vi sơn (transparent paint) · ia vernisse (transparent paint) · da fernis (anything resembling such a paint) · mi wānihi (transparent paint) · fi lakka (transparent paint) · ms varnis (transparent paint) · bg лак (transparent paint) · hu kence (anything resembling such a paint) · tg лак (transparent paint) · tk lak (transparent paint) · da fernis (transparent paint) · my ဗားနစ် (transparent paint) · be лак (transparent paint) · da lak (transparent paint) · es corla (transparent paint) · es barniz (transparent paint) · hu máz (a deceptively showy appearance) · cy farnis (transparent paint) · kk лак (transparent paint) · vec vernize (anything resembling such a paint) · ko 니스 (transparent paint) · hu fénymáz (transparent paint) · mel berenih (transparent paint)