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.

to defeat; trounce.
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”

Words nearby shellac

shelf-stacker, shelf talker, shelfware, Shelikof Strait, shell, shellac, shellacking, shellback, shellbark, shell bean, shell company

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-Science
It 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 News
At 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 News
These 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-Science

When 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|Various
When the shellac is thoroughly dry, warm the stone again to melt the shellac, and clamp the pieces together.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
Good white shellac makes the best finish for the seat; the stool itself may be finished to suit.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
This 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

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

shellac

or shel·lack

Origin of shellac

Words nearby shellac

Words related to shellac

How to use shellac in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shellac

Derived forms of shellac

Word Origin for shellac