shellac
or shel·lack
[ shuh-lak ]
/ ʃəˈlæk /
noun
lac that has been purified and formed into thin sheets, used for making varnish.
a varnish (shellac varnish) made by dissolving this material in alcohol or a similar solvent.
a phonograph record made of a breakable material containing shellac, especially one to be played at 78 r.p.m.: an LP that can hold nearly 10 times as much as the old shellac.
verb (used with object), shel·lacked, shel·lack·ing.
to coat or treat with shellac.
Slang.
- to defeat; trounce.
- to thrash soundly.
RELATED WORDS
drub, subdue, smash, overwhelm, rout, trounce, blank, clobber, crush, conquer, defeat, overcome, vanquish, bulldoze, immobilize, murder, prostrate, overthrow, reduce, trash
Nearby words
- shell star,
- shell steak,
- shell suit,
- shell-like,
- shell-shocked,
- shellacking,
- shellback,
- shellbark,
- shellcracker,
- shelled
Origin of shellac
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for shellack
Shellack—my Canton correspondent—a man I was anxious to be of use to when he came over!
Vice Versa|F. Anstey
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
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
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper