burnish

English

Etymology

From Old French burnir, from burniss-, variant of brunir (“to polish, make brown”)

Verb

burnish (third-person singular simple present burnishes, present participle burnishing, simple past and past participle burnished) (transitive)

1. To make smooth or shiny by rubbing; to polish; to shine.

   In pottery, a stone is sometimes used to burnish a pot before firing, giving it a smooth, shiny look.