shellac

American  

[shuh-lak] / ʃəˈlæk /

Or shellack

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

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verb (used with object)

shellacs, present (3rd person singular) shellacked, past participle, past shellacking present participle

1. to coat or treat with shellac.

2. Slang.

   1. to defeat; trounce.

   2. to thrash soundly.

shellac British  

/ ˈʃɛlæk, ʃəˈlæk /

noun

1. a yellowish resin secreted by the lac insect, esp a commercial preparation of this used in varnishes, polishes, and leather dressings

2. Also called: shellac varnish.  a varnish made by dissolving shellac in ethanol or a similar solvent

3. a gramophone record based on shellac

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verb

1. to coat or treat (an article) with a shellac varnish

2. slang to defeat completely

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• shellacker
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• shellacking
  present
• shellacked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• shellac
  simple
• shellacs
  simple
• have shellacked
  perfect
• has shellacked
  perfect
• are shellacking
  progressive
• am shellacking
  progressive
• is shellacking
  progressive
• have been shellacking
  perfect progressive
• has been shellacking
  perfect progressive

Past

• shellacked
  simple
• had shellacked
  perfect
• was shellacking
  progressive
• were shellacking
  progressive
• had been shellacking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will shellac
  simple
• will have shellacked
  perfect
• will be shellacking
  progressive
• will have been shellacking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of shellac

First recorded in 1705–15; shell + lac ¹, translation of French laque en écailles “lac in thin plates”

Explanation

You might paint a layer of shellac, or varnish, on a bench built from reclaimed and stained wood, to protect it and give it a glossy sheen. This noun, mainly associated with a thin varnish, displays its origins plainly: the main ingredient is lac, a resinous substance secreted by some scale insects. Shellac started making the rounds in English in the 18th century and enjoyed a vogue a century later as the main constituent of phonograph records. It originally came from the French laque en écailles, or "lac in thin plates."

Example Sentences

But for Chris specifically, I remember he had this Shellac 7-inch where the insert was like their recording setup, with a drawing of every microphone and every compressor.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2024

At the time of his death, Albini’s band Shellac were preparing to tour their first new album in a decade, “To All Trains,” which releases next week.

From Seattle Times • May 8, 2024

Albini was an instrumental and uncompromising figure in the US indie scene in the 1980s and 90s, leading bands including Big Black and Shellac.

From BBC • May 8, 2024

Shellac is a common finish on antiques but is rare on modern furniture, which is usually coated with lacquer, varnish or polyurethane.

From Washington Post • May 9, 2022

You will remember that excellent treatise on this variety of Shellac, written by Professor J.M.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 286, June 25, 1881 by Various