Origin of polish
1250–1300; Middle English polishen < Middle French poliss-, long stem of polir < Latin polīre to polish; see -ish2
Synonyms for polish
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for polisher
Historical Examples of polisher
Truth is his inspirer, and earnestness the polisher of his sentences.
A Plea for Captain John BrownHenry David Thoreau
It reminded him of Teyssdre, the polisher, and his glass of good wine.
The ImmortalAlphonse Daudet
The bottom of the polisher is covered with a piece of Brussels carpet.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2Various
A lapidary is a cutter, polisher, or engraver of precious stones.
Natural GemstonesVarious
Constantinople had been the tutor and polisher of the Turks.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and MankindHerbert George Wells
polish
verb
noun
See also polish off, polish up
Word Origin for polish
C13 polis, from Old French polir, from Latin polīre to polish
Polish
adjective
noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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polish
polish
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
polish
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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