shellac

or shel·lack

[ shuh-lak ]
/ ʃəˈlæk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR shellac ON THESAURUS.COM

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.
  1. to defeat; trounce.
  2. to thrash soundly.

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weal
well-being, prosperity, or happiness.
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Origin of shellac

1705–15; shell + lac1, translation of French laque en écailles lac in thin plates

Words nearby shellac

shell star, shell steak, shell suit, shell-like, shell-shocked, shellac, shellacking, shellback, shellbark, shellcracker, shelled
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to shellack

drub, subdue, smash, overwhelm, rout, trounce, blank, clobber, crush, conquer, defeat, overcome, vanquish, bulldoze, immobilize, murder, prostrate, overthrow, reduce, trash

Example sentences 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

British Dictionary definitions for shellack

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