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Definition of Polish - 10 dictionary results
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pol⋅ish

  [pol-ish]
Use Polish in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to make smooth and glossy, esp. by rubbing or friction: to polish a brass doorknob.
2. to render finished, refined, or elegant: His speech needs polishing.
–verb (used without object)
3. to become smooth and glossy through polishing: a flooring that polishes easily.
4. Archaic. to become refined or elegant.
–noun
5. a substance used to give smoothness or gloss: shoe polish.
6. the act of polishing.
7. state of being polished.
8. smoothness and gloss of surface.
9. superiority of manner or execution; refinement; elegance: the polish of a professional singer.
—Verb phrases
10. polish off, Informal.
a. to finish or dispose of quickly: They polished off a gallon of ice cream between them.
b. to subdue or get rid of someone: The fighter polished off his opponent in the first round.
11. polish up, to improve; refine: She took lessons to polish up her speech.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME polishen < MF poliss-, long s. of polir < L polīre to polish; see -ish 2

Related forms:
pol⋅ish⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
1. shine, brighten, burnish, buff, smooth. 8. shine, gleam. Polish, gloss, luster, sheen refer to a smooth, shining, or bright surface from which light is reflected. Polish suggests the smooth, bright reflection often produced by friction: rubbed to a high polish. Gloss suggests a superficial, hard smoothness characteristic of lacquered, varnished, or enameled surfaces: a gloss on oilcloth, on paper. Luster denotes the characteristic quality of the light reflected from the surfaces of certain materials (pearls, silk, wax, freshly cut metals, etc.): a pearly luster. Sheen, sometimes poetical, suggests a glistening brightness such as that reflected from the surface of silk or velvet, or from furniture oiled and hand-polished: a rich velvety sheen.

Po⋅lish

  [poh-lish]
–adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Poland, its inhabitants, or their language.
–noun
2. a Slavic language, the principal language of Poland. Abbreviation: Pol
Origin:
1695–1705; Pole + -ish 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Polish
pol·ish   (pŏl'ĭsh)   
v.   pol·ished, pol·ish·ing, pol·ish·es

v.   tr.
  1. To make smooth and shiny by rubbing or chemical action.
  2. To remove the outer layers from (grains of rice) by rotation in drums.
  3. To free from coarseness; refine: polish one's manners.
  4. To remove flaws from; perfect or complete: polish one's piano technique; polish up the lyrics.
v.   intr.
  1. To become smooth or shiny by or as if by being rubbed.
  2. To become perfect or refined.
n.  
  1. Smoothness or shininess of surface or finish.
  2. A substance containing chemical agents or abrasive particles and applied to smooth or shine a surface: shoe polish.
  3. The act or process of polishing.
  4. Elegance of style or manners; refinement.
Phrasal Verb(s):
polish off Informal To finish or dispose of quickly and easily.

[Middle English polisshen, from Old French polir, poliss-, from Latin polīre; see pel-5 in Indo-European roots.]
pol'ish·er n.
Po·lish   (pō'lĭsh)   
adj.  Of or relating to Poland, the Poles, their language, or their culture.
n.  The Slavic language of the Poles.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Polish

Pol"ish\, a. [From Pole a Polander.] Of or pertaining to Poland or its inhabitants. -- n. The language of the Poles.

Polish

Pol"ish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Polished; p. pr. & vb. n. Polishing.] [F. polir, L. polire. Cf. Polite, -ish]

1. To make smooth and glossy, usually by friction; to burnish; to overspread with luster; as, to polish glass, marble, metals, etc.

2. Hence, to refine; to wear off the rudeness, coarseness, or rusticity of; to make elegant and polite; as, to polish life or manners. --Milton.

To polish off, to finish completely, as an adversary. [Slang] --W. H. Russell.

Polish

Pol"ish\, v. i. To become smooth, as from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy surface; as, steel polishes well. --Bacon.

Polish

Pol"ish\, n. 1. A smooth, glossy surface, usually produced by friction; a gloss or luster.

Another prism of clearer glass and better polish. --Sir I. Newton.

2. Anything used to produce a gloss.

3. Fig.: Refinement; elegance of manners.

This Roman polish and this smooth behavior. --Addison.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Polish
Spanish: lustrar, abrillantar, sacar brillo, *lustre, limpiar,
German: polieren,
Japanese: 磨く
More Translations »

polish  (v.)
c.1300, from O.Fr. poliss-, prp. stem of polir "to polish," from L. polire "to polish, make smooth," of unknown origin. The notion of "to free from coarseness, to refine" first recorded 1340. Polished "elegant" is attested from c.1412. Slang polish off "finish" is 1837, from notion of applying a coat of polish being the final step in a piece of work. The noun is first recorded c.1704, from the verb.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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polish

In addition to the idioms beginning with polish, also see spit and polish.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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