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shellac

or shel·lack

[ shuh-lak ]
/ ʃəˈlæk /
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See synonyms for: shellac / shellacking on Thesaurus.com

noun
lac that has been purified and formed into thin sheets, used for making varnish (shellac varnish ) by dissolving it in alcohol or a similar solvent.
formerly, a phonograph record made of a breakable material containing shellac, especially one to be played at 78 r.p.m.: In the antique shop I found a stack of old shellacs with recordings of great wartime classics.
verb (used with object), shel·lacked, shel·lack·ing.
to coat or treat with shellac.
Slang.
  1. to defeat; trounce.
  2. to thrash soundly.
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Origin of shellac

First recorded in 1705–15; shell + lac1, translation of French laque en écailles “lac in thin plates”
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use shellac in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shellac

shellac
/ (ʃəˈlæk, ˈʃɛlæk) /

noun
a yellowish resin secreted by the lac insect, esp a commercial preparation of this used in varnishes, polishes, and leather dressings
Also called: shellac varnish a varnish made by dissolving shellac in ethanol or a similar solvent
a gramophone record based on shellac
verb -lacs, -lacking or -lacked (tr)
to coat or treat (an article) with a shellac varnish
US slang to defeat completely

Derived forms of shellac

shellacker, noun

Word Origin for shellac

C18: shell + lac 1, translation of French laque en écailles, literally: lac in scales, that is, in thin plates
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
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