polish

¹

[pol-ish]

verb (used with object)

1. to make smooth and glossy, especially by rubbing or friction.

   to polish a brass doorknob.

   Synonyms: smooth, buff, burnish, brighten, shine

2. to render finished, refined, or elegant.

   His speech needs polishing.

verb (used without object)

1. to become smooth and glossy through polishing.

   a flooring that polishes easily.

2. Archaic.,  to become refined or elegant.

noun

1. a substance used to give smoothness or gloss.

   shoe polish.

2. the act of polishing.

3. state of being polished.

4. smoothness and gloss of surface.

   Synonyms: gleam, shine

5. superiority of manner or execution; refinement; elegance.

   the polish of a professional singer.

verb phrase

1. polish up,  to improve; refine.

   She took lessons to polish up her speech.

2. polish off

   1. to finish or dispose of quickly.

      They polished off a gallon of ice cream between them.

   2. to subdue or get rid of someone.

      The fighter polished off his opponent in the first round.

Polish

²

[poh-lish]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, its inhabitants, or their language.

noun

1. a Slavic language, the principal language of Poland. Pol

polish

¹

/ ˈpɒlɪʃ /

verb

1. to make or become smooth and shiny by rubbing, esp with wax or an abrasive

2. (tr) to make perfect or complete

3. to make or become elegant or refined

noun

1. a finish or gloss

2. the act of polishing or the condition of having been polished

3. a substance used to produce a smooth and shiny, often protective surface

4. elegance or refinement, esp in style, manner, etc

Polish

²

/ ˈpəʊlɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, its people, or their language

noun

1. the official language of Poland, belonging to the West Slavonic branch of the Indo-European family

Other Word Forms

• polisher noun
• depolish verb (used with object)
• interpolish verb (used with object)
• overpolish verb (used with object)
• prepolish noun
• repolish verb
• anti-Polish noun
• non-Polish adjective
• pre-Polish adjective
• pro-Polish adjective
• pseudo-Polish adjective
• polishable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of polish¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English polishen, from Middle French poliss-, long stem of polir, from Latin polīre “to polish”; -ish ²

Origin of polish²

First recorded in 1695–1705; Pole + -ish ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of polish¹

C13 polis, from Old French polir, from Latin polīre to polish

Idioms and Phrases

• spit and polish

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

“Limos” received positive reviews, with online immersive destination No Proscenium declaring it “impressively polished.”

From Los Angeles Times

To replace this with a polished composite is to flatten the art form into blandness.

From Los Angeles Times

“Jr. is more polished. This year he’s picking teams apart.”

From Los Angeles Times

The technique is far from polished as the egg randomly chooses which chromosomes to discard.

From BBC

After his presidency, Republican leaders steadily polished his memory into a symbol of conservative triumph, downplaying scandals such as Iran-Contra or Reagan’s early skepticism of civil rights.

From Salon