varnish

Definition

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.

Etymology

From Middle English vernisch, vernish, from Old French vernis, from Medieval Latin vernix, veronix, from Byzantine Greek Βερενίκη (Bereníkē, “Berenice”), a town in Cyrenaica, now called Benghazi.

Example Sentences

• "the varnish of the holly and ivy"
• "And set a double varnish on the fame / The Frenchman gave you."
• "Every transcontinental but two settled on the simple articulated for freight service, and all of them coupled their varnish to the 4-8-4."