Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A liquid that contains a solvent and an oxidizing or evaporating binder and is applied to a surface to produce a hard, transparent finish after evaporation and curing.
- noun The smooth coating or gloss resulting from the application of this liquid.
- noun Something suggestive of or resembling varnish.
- noun An often deceptive external appearance or outward show.
- transitive verb To cover with varnish.
- transitive verb To give a smooth and glossy finish to.
- transitive verb To give a superficial or deceptive appearance to.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In etching, any resinous coating used to cover parts of the plate which have become exposed: to be distinguished from the ground, which is the original coating applied to the entire plate.
- To lay varnish on for the purpose of decorating or protecting the surface. See
varnish , n., 1. - To cover with something that gives a fair external appearance; give an improved appearance to.
- To give an attractive external appearance to by rhetoric; give a fair coloring to; gloss over; palliate: as, to
varnish errors or deformity. - To apply varnish, in a general sense.
- noun A solution of resinous matter, forming a clear limpid fluid capable of hardening without losing its transparency: used by painters, gilders, cabinet-makers, and others for coating over the surface of their work in order to give it a shining, transparent, and hard surface, capable of resisting in a greater or less degree the influences of air and moisture.
- noun That which resembles varnish, either naturally or artificially: a glossy or lustrous appearance.
- noun An artificial covering to give a fair appearance to any act or conduct; outside show; gloss; palliation; “whitewash.”
- noun In ceramics, the glaze of pottery or porcelain.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A viscid liquid, consisting of a solution of resinous matter in an oil or a volatile liquid, laid on work with a brush, or otherwise. When applied the varnish soon dries, either by evaporation or chemical action, and the resinous part forms thus a smooth, hard surface, with a beautiful gloss, capable of resisting, to a greater or less degree, the influences of air and moisture.
- noun That which resembles varnish, either naturally or artificially; a glossy appearance.
- noun An artificial covering to give a fair appearance to any act or conduct; outside show; gloss.
- noun (Bot.) a tree or shrub from the juice or resin of which varnish is made, as some species of the genus Rhus, especially
Rhus vernicifera of Japan. The black varnish of Burmah is obtained from theMelanorrhœa usitatissima , a tall East Indian tree of the Cashew family. SeeCopal , andMastic . - transitive verb To lay varnish on; to cover with a liquid which produces, when dry, a hard, glossy surface.
- transitive verb To cover or conceal with something that gives a fair appearance; to give a fair coloring to by words; to gloss over; to palliate.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A type of
paint with asolvent thatevaporates to leave ahard ,transparent ,glossy film . - noun Anything resembling such a paint.
- noun By extension: A
deceptively showy appearance . - verb intransitive To
apply varnish. - verb transitive To
cover up with varnish. - verb transitive To
gloss over adefect .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb cover with varnish
- noun a coating that provides a hard, lustrous, transparent finish to a surface
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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A fire retardant varnish is then applied to the entire piece.
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A good varnish is one that will not separate, Mauclerc stated, because the ingredients have formed an indivisible union: his theory of varnishmaking is also a theory of chemical combination. 23 Complete joining of the materials is only certain when there has been effervesce.
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A thin coat of varnish is now painted over the parts that are sufficiently deepened, technically speaking they are "stopped out," and the process of biting is recommenced.
Autobiography and Other Memorials of Mrs. Gilbert, Formerly Ann Taylor 1874
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It should also have a smaller than usual handle (‘cos I only have little hands) and a stain resistant interior (‘cos the coffee in our machines can strip the varnish from the desks).
Outward Facing Strapline « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2009
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It’s kind of like the Sistine Chapel with dead people preserved in varnish and it looks like something out of an H.R. Giger painting.
Current Movie Reviews, Independent Movies - Film Threat 2001
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When she arrives at the north London studio for her interview and photo-shoot, she is so clean and shiny it is as though she has been freshly dipped in varnish.
Tess Daly: the interview Elizabeth Day 2010
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Fuel left in the tank over the summer could gum up into what's referred to as varnish if you didn't remove it.
Tip of the Day: Get prepared for winter storms before the bad weather hits 2009
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Fuel left in the tank over the summer could gum up into what's referred to as varnish if you didn't remove it.
Tip of the Day: Get prepared for winter storms before the bad weather hits 2009
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We bought a couple of sample pots of varnish, which is amazingly non-smelly, and the one we've chosen is a nice honey tone so that will look nice.
sheepdip Diary Entry sheepdip 2002
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The pigment is that constituent which makes the impression visible, while the varnish is the vehicle which carries the pigment during the operation of grinding and during its distribution on the press to the type, from the type to the paper, and ultimately binds it to the paper.
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