varnish
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varnish
- /ˈvɑː(ɹ)nɪʃ/
Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)nɪʃ
Where it comes from
From Middle English vernisch, vernish, from Old French vernis, from Medieval Latin vernix, veronix, from Medieval Greek Βερενίκη (Bereníkē, “Berenice”), a town in Cyrenaica, now called Benghazi.
noun varnishes · vernish
- A clear or translucent liquid coating composed of resin dissolved in a solvent, which dries by evaporation to form a hard, protective, and typically glossy finish. ..; and this process should be continued until all the gum is properly dissolved, which is easily known by having an empty tin can to pour the varnish into, until near the last, which is to be poured into a gallon measure;...
- Anything resembling such a coating; a glossy appearance. the varnish of the holly and ivy
- A deceptively showy appearance. And set a double varnish on the fame / The Frenchman gave you.
- A passenger train, probably derived from the varnished passenger cars used at one time. Every transcontinental but two settled on the simple articulated for freight service, and all of them coupled their varnish to the 4-8-4.
verb varnishes · varnishing · varnished · vernish
- To apply varnish.
- To cover up with varnish.
- To make something superficially or deceptively attractive varnish the report
- To gloss over a defect. [...] Go love thy infant; love thy wood-chopper: be good-natured and modest: have that grace; and never varnish your hard, uncharitable ambition with this incredible tenderness for black folk a thousand miles off. Thy love afar is spite at home.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: seal, shellac, veneer, glaze, paint, polishing, spar, golden, painting, gloss, stain, sandarac, dammar, remover, finish, copal
Translations
Every language
noun transparent paint
| Español | barniz, corladura, corla |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 니스 niseu, 옻 ot, 바니시 banisi |
| 日本語 | ワニス wanisu, ニス nisu, 仮漆 kashitsu |
| 中文 | 清漆 qīngqī, 漆 qī |
| हिन्दी | वार्निश vārniś |
| Português | verniz |
| Français | vernis |
| Deutsch | Lack, Firnis |
| Italiano | vernice |
| Română | vernis, lac |
| Русский | лак lak |
| Tiếng Việt | sơn, véc ni |
| العربية | وَرْنِيش warnīš |
noun anything resembling such a paint
| Deutsch | Firnis |
|---|
verb intransitive: to apply varnish
| Español | barnizar, lacar |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 塗る nuru |
| 中文 | 塗漆 /涂漆 túqí |
| Português | envernizar |
| Français | vernir |
| Deutsch | lackieren, firnissen |
| Русский | лакирова́ть lakirovátʹ |
verb transitive: to cover up with varnish
| Español | barnizar, lacar, corlar, corlear |
|---|---|
| Português | envernizar |
| Русский | лакирова́ть lakirovátʹ, покрыва́ть ла́ком pokryvátʹ lákom |
verb to gloss over a defect
| Português | envernizar |
|---|---|
| Русский | прикра́шивать prikrášivatʹ |
Talk about this word "varnish." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/varnish. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. varnish. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/varnish "varnish." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/varnish.Cite this
@misc{varnish_2026,
title = {varnish},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/varnish},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
