burnish

[ bur-nish ]
See synonyms for: burnishburnished on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to polish (a surface) by friction.

  2. to make smooth and bright.

  1. Engraving. to flatten and enlarge the dots of (a halftone) by rubbing with a tool.

noun
  1. gloss; brightness; luster: the burnish of brass andirons.

Origin of burnish

1
1275–1325; Middle English burnissh<Anglo-French burniss-,Middle French bruniss- (long stem of burnir,brunir to darken, polish), equivalent to brun-brown + -iss--ish2

Other words for burnish

Other words from burnish

  • bur·nish·a·ble, adjective
  • bur·nish·ment, noun
  • un·bur·nished, adjective

Words Nearby burnish

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How to use burnish in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for burnish

burnish

/ (ˈbɜːnɪʃ) /


verb
  1. to make or become shiny or smooth by friction; polish

noun
  1. a shiny finish; lustre

Origin of burnish

1
C14 burnischen, from Old French brunir to make brown, from brun brown

Derived forms of burnish

  • burnishable, adjective
  • burnisher, noun

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