varnish

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a transparent liquid coating that dries to form a hard, protective, usually glossy surface

   Two coats of varnish protected the wooden table from spills.

2. 2
   verb

   to cover a surface with varnish

   They varnished the floor after sanding it smooth.

3. 3
   noun

   an attractive outward appearance that conceals faults or an unpleasant reality

   Polite language could not hide the varnish over his selfish motives.

From Middle English vernish, through Old French vernis, from Medieval Latin vernix, a word for fragrant resin or varnish. The figurative sense treats a polished appearance as a coating that can conceal the material beneath it.

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