polish
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also Polish
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English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin polire (“to polish, make smooth”).
Pronunciation [edit]
- (UK) enPR: pŏ'lĭsh, IPA: /ˈpɒlɪʃ/, X-SAMPA: /"pQlIS/
- (US) enPR: pä'lĭsh, IPA: /ˈpɑlɪʃ/, X-SAMPA: /"pAlIS/
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Audio (US) (file)
Noun [edit]
polish (countable and uncountable; plural polishes)
- A substance used to polish.
- A good silver polish will remove tarnish easily.
- Cleanliness; smoothness, shininess.
- The floor was waxed to a high polish.
- Refinement; cleanliness in performance or presentation.
- The lecturer showed a lot of polish at his last talk.
Synonyms [edit]
- (substance): wax
- (smoothness, shininess): finish, sheen, shine, shininess, smoothness
- (cleanliness in performance or presentation): class, elegance, panache, refinement, style
Derived terms [edit]
Related terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
substance used to polish
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cleanliness; smoothness; shininess
cleanliness in performance or presentation
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
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See also [edit]
- apple-polish
- French polish
- furniture polish
- glacial polish
- nail polish
- polish remover
- shoe polish
- spit and polish
- stove polish
- varnish polish
Verb [edit]
polish (third-person singular simple present polishes, present participle polishing, simple past and past participle polished)
- (transitive) To shine; to make a surface very smooth or shiny by rubbing, cleaning, or grinding.
- He polished up the chrome until it gleamed.
- (transitive) To refine; remove imperfections from.
- The band has polished its performance since the last concert.
- (transitive) To apply shoe polish to shoes.
- (intransitive) To become smooth, as from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy surface.
- Steel polishes well.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)
Synonyms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
Related terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
make a surface smooth or shiny
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refine; improve imperfections from
apply shoe polish
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
See also [edit]
External links [edit]
- polish in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- polish in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- polish at OneLook Dictionary Search