varnish

C1 Topic:Materials & Substances

US /ˈvɑɹnɪʃ/ UK /ˈvɑːnɪʃ/ See IPA manual

Freq #25608

Meanings

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

verb
to cover a surface with varnish

They varnished the floor after sanding it smooth.
3

noun
an attractive outward appearance that conceals faults or an unpleasant reality

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

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a transparent liquid... finish lacquersealant

2 verb · to cover a surface with... lacquer seal finish

3 noun · an attractive outward... gloss facade veneer

Word family

Forms varnished

Derived forms revarnishvarnishablevarnishervarnishlessvarnishlike

Related forms resinwood finish

Common collocations

nail varnish Noun + noun

Etymology

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.

Topics

Materials & Substances

External links

# varnish

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈvɑɹnɪʃ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈvɑːnɪʃ/
**Frequency rank:** 25608

## Meanings
1. a transparent liquid coating that dries to form a hard, protective, usually glossy surface
2. to cover a surface with varnish
3. an attractive outward appearance that conceals faults or an unpleasant reality

## Examples
- Two coats of varnish protected the wooden table from spills.
- They varnished the floor after sanding it smooth.
- Polite language could not hide the varnish over his selfish motives.

## Synonyms
- finish
- lacquer
- sealant
- gloss
- veneer

## Derived Forms
- revarnish
- varnishable
- varnisher
- varnishless
- varnishlike

## Related Forms
- resin
- wood finish

## Etymology
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.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances

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