varnish

[ vahr-nish ]

See synonyms for: varnish varnished varnishing on Thesaurus.com

noun

a preparation consisting of resinous matter, as copal or lac, dissolved in an oil (oil varnish ) or in alcohol (spirit varnish ) or other volatile liquid. When applied to the surface of wood, metal, etc., it dries and leaves a hard, more or less glossy, usually transparent coating.
the sap of certain trees, used for the same purpose (natural varnish ).

any of various other preparations similarly used, as one having India rubber, pyroxylin, or asphalt as its chief constituent.
a coating or surface of varnish.
something resembling or suggesting a coat of varnish; gloss.
superficial polish or external show, especially to conceal some defect or inadequacy: The play has a varnish of witty dialogue.
British. nail polish.

verb (used with object)

to apply varnish to; coat or cover with varnish.
to give a glossy appearance to.

to give an improved appearance to; adorn.
to give a superficially pleasing appearance to, especially in order to deceive: to varnish the truth.

Origin of varnish

1300–50; Middle English varnisch<Middle French vernis, verniz<Medieval Latin vernicium sandarac <Medieval Greek bernī́kē, syncopated variant of Greek Berenī́kē, city in Cyrenaica

Other words for varnish

11	gild, disguise

See synonyms for varnish on Thesaurus.com

Other words from varnish

var·nish·er, noun
var·nish·y, adjective
re·var·nish, verb (used with object)
well-varnished, adjective

Words Nearby varnish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use varnish in a sentence

Coffins, which are made of different types of steel and wood that are treated with varnishes, release zinc, aluminum, and copper that could corrode and seep into soils via cemetery leachate.
COVID-19 is overcrowding cemeteries and causing heavy metal pollution | Anuradha Varanasi | February 12, 2022 | Popular-Science
Celebrities like Pete Davidson and Machine Gun Kelly have donned nail varnish, while Tyler, the Creator and TikToker LilHuddy have developed their own polish and nail art products.
‘Beauty is a brand new space’: OPI teams up with Xbox for global nail polish collab | jim cooper | January 4, 2022 | Digiday
She described scraping a varnish of roach dung from the walls before scrubbing them.
Chaos and Uncertainty as Developer Plans to Demolish Motel That Serves as Housing Lifeline | by Anjeanette Damon, photography by David Calvert, special to ProPublica | November 15, 2021 | ProPublica
They are equally good at preparing a smooth, scratch-free surface for the application of varnish or other finishes.
The best random orbital sanders for all your smoothing projects | Bob Beacham | October 7, 2021 | Popular-Science
Conservators typically start by cleaning off old varnish, selectively removing it where it makes sense to lighten the colors behind it, replacing the smallest amounts they can get away with.
How These Rothkos Were Restored Without Touching the Canvas | Adam Rogers | May 30, 2021 | The Daily Beast

Christie spoke passionately about his late mother, who “spoke the truth bluntly, directly, and without much varnish.”
8 Best Moments From Chris Christie’s GOP Convention Speech (VIDEO) | The Daily Beast Video | August 29, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
The varnish of a beautiful amber colour, and there are a few instances of fine red.
Violins and Violin Makers | Joseph Pearce
The varnish is of first quality, and his violins are yearly becoming more valuable and of greater importance.
Violins and Violin Makers | Joseph Pearce
Another is quite equal, more highly finished and has his splendid red varnish.
Violins and Violin Makers | Joseph Pearce
Neither the model, the wood, nor the varnish possesses much verisimilitude at different periods of his career.
Violins and Violin Makers | Joseph Pearce
He also occasionally, but much more seldom, used red coloured varnish.
Violins and Violin Makers | Joseph Pearce

British Dictionary definitions for varnish

varnish

/ (ˈvɑːnɪʃ) /

noun

Also called: oil varnish a preparation consisting of a solvent, a drying oil, and usually resin, rubber, bitumen, etc, for application to a surface where it polymerizes to yield a hard glossy, usually transparent, coating
a similar preparation consisting of a substance, such as shellac or cellulose ester, dissolved in a volatile solvent, such as alcohol. It hardens to a film on evaporation of the solvent: See also spirit varnish

Also called: natural varnish the sap of certain trees used to produce such a coating
a smooth surface, coated with or as with varnish
an artificial, superficial, or deceptively pleasing manner, covering, etc; veneer
mainly British another word for nail polish

verb(tr)

to cover with varnish
to give a smooth surface to, as if by painting with varnish

to impart a more attractive appearance to
to make superficially attractive

Origin of varnish

C14: from Old French vernis, from Medieval Latin veronix sandarac, resin, from Medieval Greek berenikē, perhaps from Greek Berenikē, city in Cyrenaica, Libya where varnishes were used

Derived forms of varnish

varnisher, 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

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