burnish

[ bur-nish ]
See synonyms for burnish on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
  1. to polish (a surface) by friction.

  2. to make smooth and bright.

  1. Engraving. to flatten and enlarge the dots of (a halftone) by rubbing with a tool.

noun
  1. gloss; brightness; luster: the burnish of brass andirons.

Origin of burnish

1
1275–1325; Middle English burnissh<Anglo-French burniss-,Middle French bruniss- (long stem of burnir,brunir to darken, polish), equivalent to brun-brown + -iss--ish2

Other words for burnish

Other words from burnish

  • bur·nish·a·ble, adjective
  • bur·nish·ment, noun
  • un·bur·nished, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use burnish in a sentence

  • They carried spears that flashed and glittered in the sun, as did their burnished shields and helmets.

  • Then again she brushed and brushed, until the ripply mass shone like unto burnished gold.

    Maid Sally | Harriet A. Cheever
  • Tik-tok moved by clockwork, and was made all of burnished copper.

  • In places it was wholly metal, smooth and shining like burnished copper.

    The Fire People | Ray Cummings
  • The helmet, though burnished and adorned with a horse's tail, had the unmistakable outlines of a copper kettle.

    The Landloper | Holman Day

British Dictionary definitions for burnish

burnish

/ (ˈbɜːnɪʃ) /


verb
  1. to make or become shiny or smooth by friction; polish

noun
  1. a shiny finish; lustre

Origin of burnish

1
C14 burnischen, from Old French brunir to make brown, from brun brown

Derived forms of burnish

  • burnishable, adjective
  • burnisher, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012