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)

shellacked, shellacking

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

• shellacker noun

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

In 1887 German-American inventor Emile Berliner invented the flat shellac disk, quickly saw its advantage for mass production, and patented a device to play them, the gramophone, that same year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

Human societies have used plastics that occur naturally in the environment for hundreds of years, in the form of rubber, horn and shellac.

From BBC • Aug. 5, 2025

Instead, “People getting ready to do things” is spelled out in egg yolk, besmirching the virginal purity of its white satin support; and “It’s only vanishing cream” is translucent shellac disappearing against deathly black.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2024

“Your son has shellac in his veins,” referring to the brittle material used in 78 r.p.m. records.

From New York Times • Apr. 2, 2023

Outside’s been dunked in a bucket of shiny clear shellac.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett