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Varnish - 7 dictionary results
var⋅nish
[vahr-nish] 
–noun
| 1. | a preparation consisting of resinous matter, as copal or lac, dissolved in an oil (oil varnish) or in alcohol (spirit varnish) or other volatile liquid. When applied to the surface of wood, metal, etc., it dries and leaves a hard, more or less glossy, usually transparent coating. |
| 2. | the sap of certain trees, used for the same purpose (natural varnish). |
| 3. | any of various other preparations similarly used, as one having India rubber, pyroxylin, or asphalt as its chief constituent. |
| 4. | a coating or surface of varnish. |
| 5. | something resembling or suggesting a coat of varnish; gloss. |
| 6. | superficial polish or external show, esp. to conceal some defect or inadequacy: The play has a varnish of witty dialogue. |
| 7. | British. nail polish. |
–verb (used with object)
| 8. | to apply varnish to; coat or cover with varnish. |
| 9. | to give a glossy appearance to. |
| 10. | to give an improved appearance to; adorn. |
| 11. | to give a superficially pleasing appearance to, esp. in order to deceive: to varnish the truth. |
Origin:
1300–50; ME varnisch < MF vernis, verniz < ML vernicium sandarac < MGk bern
kē, syncopated var. of Gk Berenkē, city in Cyrenaica
1300–50; ME varnisch < MF vernis, verniz < ML vernicium sandarac < MGk bern
kē, syncopated var. of Gk Berenkē, city in CyrenaicaRelated forms:
var⋅nish⋅er, noun
var⋅nish⋅y, adjective
Synonyms:
11. gild, disguise.
11. gild, disguise.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To Varnish
| var·nish (vär'nĭsh) n.
[Middle English vernisshe, from Old French vernis, from Medieval Latin veronix, vernix, sandarac resin, from Medieval Greek verenikē, from Greek Berenikē, Berenice (Benghazi), an ancient city of Cyrenaica.] var'nish·er n. |
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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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Varnish
Var"nish\, n. [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.]1. 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. When applied the varnish soon dries, either by evaporation or chemical action, and the resinous part forms thus a smooth, hard surface, with a beautiful gloss, capable of resisting, to a greater or less degree, the influences of air and moisture. Note: According to the sorts of solvents employed, the ordinary kinds of varnish are divided into three classes: spirit, turpentine, and oil varnishes. --Encyc. Brit 2. That which resembles varnish, either naturally or artificially; a glossy appearance. The varnish of the holly and ivy. --Macaulay. 3. An artificial covering to give a fair appearance to any act or conduct; outside show; gloss. And set a double varnish on the fame The Frenchman gave you. --Shak. Varnish tree (Bot.), a tree or shrub from the juice or resin of which varnish is made, as some species of the genus Rhus, especially R. vernicifera of Japan. The black varnish of Burmah is obtained from the Melanorrh[oe]a usitatissima, a tall East Indian tree of the Cashew family. See Copal, and Mastic.Varnish
Var"nish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Varnished; p. pr. & vb. n. Varnishing.] [Cf. F. vernir, vernisser. See Varnish, n.]1. 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. 2. 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. Close ambition, varnished o'er with zeal. --Milton. Cato's voice was ne'er employed To clear the guilty and to varnish crimes. --Addison.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Varnish
Spanish:
barniz,
German:
der Lack,
Japanese:
ニス
varnish (n.)
1341, from O.Fr. vernis "varnish" (12c.), from M.L. vernix "odorous resin," perhaps from Late Gk. verenike, from Gk. Berenike, name of an ancient city in Libya (modern Bengasi) credited with the first use of varnishes. The town is named for Berenike II, queen of Egypt (see Berenice). Fig. sense of "specious gloss, pretense," is recorded from 1565. The verb is attested from c.1386.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: var·nish
Pronunciation: 'vär-nish
Function: noun
: any of various liquid preparations that when spread and allowed to dry on asurface form a hard lustrous typically transparent coating and that include some used in dentistry to line deep cavities in order to protect the pulp of a tooth —varnish transitiveverb
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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varnish
liquid coating material containing a resin that dries to a hard transparent film. Most varnishes are a blend of resin, drying oil, drier, and volatile solvent. When varnish dries, its solvent portion evaporates, and the remaining constituents oxidize or polymerize to form a durable transparent film. Varnishes provide protective coatings for wooden surfaces, paintings, and various decorative objects. Varnish protects and enhances the appearance of wooden floors, interior wood paneling and trim, and furniture.
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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