burnish
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bur·nish
(bûr′nĭsh)tr.v. bur·nished, bur·nish·ing, bur·nish·es
1. To make smooth or glossy by rubbing; polish.
2. To rub with a tool that serves especially to smooth or polish.
3. To improve or make more impressive: achievements that burnished her reputation.
n.
A smooth glossy finish or appearance; luster.
[Middle English burnishen, from Old French burnir, burniss-, variant of brunir, from brun, shining, of Germanic origin; see bher- in Indo-European roots.]
bur′nish·er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
burnish
(ˈbɜːnɪʃ)vb
(Art Terms) to make or become shiny or smooth by friction; polish
n
(Art Terms) a shiny finish; lustre
[C14 burnischen, from Old French brunir to make brown, from brun brown]
ˈburnishable adj
ˈburnisher n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
bur•nish
(ˈbɜr nɪʃ)v.t.
1. to polish (a surface) by friction.
2. to make smooth and bright, esp. by rubbing with a tool.
n. 3. brightness; luster.
[1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French burniss-, Middle French bruniss- (long s. of burnir,brunir to darken, polish) <brun- brown]
bur′nish•er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
burnish
Past participle: burnished
Gerund: burnishing
Imperative |
---|
burnish |
burnish |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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Noun | 1. | burnish - the property of being smooth and shiny smoothness - a texture without roughness; smooth to the touch; "admiring the slim smoothness of her thighs"; "some artists prefer the smoothness of a board" radiancy, refulgence, refulgency, shine, effulgence, radiance - the quality of being bright and sending out rays of light French polish - the glaze produced by repeated applications of French polish shellac glaze - a glossy finish on a fabric |
Verb | 1. | burnish - polish and make shiny; "buff the wooden floors"; "buff my shoes" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
burnish
verb
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
burnish
verbnoun
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَصْقُلُ، يُلَمِّعُ المَعادِن
leštit
polerepudse
fényesre csiszol
fægja
blizgintinublizgintinupoliruotipoliruoti
pulētspodrināt
cilalamakparlatmak
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
burnish
vt metal → polieren; (fig) image → aufpolieren
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
burnish
(ˈbəːniʃ) verb to make (metal) bright by polishing. They burnished the silver.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.