shellac
or shel·lack
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.
to coat or treat with shellac.
Slang.
to defeat; trounce.
to thrash soundly.
Origin of shellac
1Words Nearby shellac
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use shellac in a sentence
To make the finger move, the Linz group wrapped it with an exoskeleton made from a material that included ethanol and shellac, the resin that’s used in very old records.
The future might be filled with squishy robots printed to order | Rahul Rao | February 5, 2022 | Popular-ScienceIt was a fluke discovery by Belgian-born chemist Leo Baekeland, who was seeking an alternative to the natural shellac that insulated electrical cables.
Materials of the last century shaped modern life, but at a price | Carolyn Wilke | January 28, 2022 | Science NewsAt the time, what gave natural polymers like cellulose, shellac and rubber their properties remained unknown.
Materials of the last century shaped modern life, but at a price | Carolyn Wilke | January 28, 2022 | Science NewsThese crystallize rapidly in the heat, forming a shiny, viscous shellac known as amberat.
What’s in a packrat’s petrified pee? Just a few thousand years of secrets. | Rachel Feltman | August 12, 2021 | Popular-ScienceWhen partially exhausted the aluminum shutters are dipped into a bath of shellac.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing Miller
When the stone is warm wipe off the oil which the heat has driven out and apply a couple of coats of shellac to the broken ends.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | VariousWhen the shellac is thoroughly dry, warm the stone again to melt the shellac, and clamp the pieces together.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | VariousGood white shellac makes the best finish for the seat; the stool itself may be finished to suit.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | VariousThis metal tube should be coated with thick shellac, and the paper tube slipped over it for 1 in.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | Various
British Dictionary definitions for shellac
/ (ʃəˈlæk, ˈʃɛlæk) /
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
to coat or treat (an article) with a shellac varnish
US slang to defeat completely
Origin of shellac
1Derived forms of shellac
- shellacker, 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
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