polish1 verbpolish2 noun
polishpol‧ish1 /ˈpɒlɪʃ $ ˈpɑː-/ ●●● S3 verb [transitive] 
WORD ORIGINpolish1
Origin:
1200-1300 Old French polir, from Latin polireVERB TABLE
polish
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | polish |
| he, she, it | polishes | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | polished |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have polished |
| he, she, it | has polished | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had polished |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will polish |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have polished |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am polishing |
| he, she, it | is polishing | |
| you, we, they | are polishing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was polishing |
| you, we, they | were polishing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been polishing |
| he, she, it | has been polishing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been polishing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be polishing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been polishing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a polished wooden floor
- Edward's essay is good, but he needs to polish it a little bit.
- He polished the piano until the wood shone.
- After she had polished the furniture, she cleaned the windows.
- Bill was leaning on his cab, spitting at the wing mirror and half-heartedly polishing it with his sleeve.
- Light polishes itself under the bushel.
- Sheila and I were responsible for polishing the brass and crystal chandelier that hung over the dining-room table.
- That it proves an undistinguished production can be polished in the right hands is illuminating.
- There was no pearl inside, though, nothing nearly so hard and polished.
- Tiny, polished black pollen beetles crawled over her hand: she had become part of their landscape.
Longman Language Activatorto make something clean with a cloth
to remove dirt or liquid from something using a slightly wet cloth: · The waiter was wiping the tables.wipe something up: · If you spill any paint, wipe it up immediately.wipe up something: · Wipe up all that mess before you begin cooking.
to remove dust from furniture, shelves etc using a soft cloth: · She decided to dust the dining room furniture again.dust behind/under etc: · A thorough cleaning includes dusting under the wardrobes.· She didn't often dust behind the pictures.
to make something clean and shiny, for example your shoes or a piece of furniture, by rubbing it with a cloth or brush: · He polished the piano until the wood shone.· a polished wooden floor
to make shoes clean and shiny by rubbing or polishing them with a brush or cloth and shoe polish: · If you're coming, you'd better shine your shoes and put on a clean shirt.have/get your shoes shined: · You should have your shoes shined before the interview.
to drink all of something · Come on, drink up. I want to go home.drink something up · Come on, drink your milk up.drink up something · She drank up her brandy and signalled to the waiter to bring another.
informal to quickly drink large quantities of an alcoholic drink: knock back something: · Two bored-looking businessmen were knocking back glasses of schnapps.· He knocked back the last of the bourbon, then lit his last cigarette.knock something back: · When his whisky arrived, he knocked it back in a single gulp.
to drink all of a drink fairly quickly, especially an alcoholic drink: · The servant brought a glass of water, which I downed in a single mouthful.· After downing a whole bottle of tequila, she swallowed several dozen sleeping tablets.
: drain a bottle/glass/cup etc to drink everything that is in a bottle etc, including the last few drops: · Jim drained his glass then offered to buy everyone another one.· Hurriedly draining her cup, she reached for her purse.
to finish something that you enjoy drinking, especially quickly or before someone else can drink it: polish something off: · I think I'll polish that last beer off before George gets in.polish off something: · Did you polish off all the wine last night?
to eat all of something to eat all of something and not leave anything: · Come on, boys -- eat up your supper and get to bed.eat something/it/them up: · Margaret ate it all up and then asked for more.· We were always taught to eat our vegetables up.
to finish eating something: · Are you finished?· You may not leave the table until you've finished your supper.· I finished my lunch, repacked my back pack, and set off again.· Hurry up and finish so we can make the 7 o'clock show.
to finish eating the rest of the food that is still on the plate, in the pan etc: finish off/up something: · Who finished off the cake that was left after the party?· Can someone finish up these strawberries so I don't have to throw them away?finish something/it/them off: · Finish those carrots off and you can have dessert.
to eat everything that is available, with great enjoyment, until there is none left: polish off something: · At dinner he polished off six fudge brownies and then asked for some more.polish something/it/them off: · If anyone wants more pizza, come and get it before Dan polishes it all off.
to eat all of something very quickly - used humorously: · The kids demolished the cake and then ran back outside to play.· I've seen Marian demolish a big box of chocolates in one sitting!
especially written to eat all of something quickly because you are very hungry: · After the tennis match the boys devoured the sandwiches in seconds.· Wendell devoured a large piece of gingerbread, then licked his fingers greedily.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
The silverware had been polished to a high gloss.
· I washed and waxed the kitchen floor.
· The room smelt of floor polish.
The silverware had been polished to a high gloss. (=to put coloured liquid on your nails)· Don't paint short nails in dark colours.
· We used to clean our shoes every evening before we went to bed.
· I didn't want to spill anything on the polished surface of the table.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Background graphics are highly polished and the sound compliments it well.· Across the room, the glow from the fireplace flickered on the highly polished floor.· Even the wires seemed to be highly polished.· In front of his highly polished desk are two leather armchairs facing a matching leather couch.· The original finish of highly polished golden brass soon deteriorated, but initially at least shone a bright yellow.
· But she made light work of polishing off the shopping at a supermarket near her West London home.· Quinn ate with crude intensity, polishing off the meal in what seemed a matter of seconds.· When I get home Mrs Marsh has polished off half the biscuits in the tin and the teapot is all but empty.· After that we polish off the last of the half-gallon of whiskey.· The boys declared it a feast compared with the week before and polished off their chocolate as a bonus.· Before polishing off the last of the trail mix, Gray realized he was wrong.· This invigorating start to the day ended with a cold shower, and by 0730 a substantial breakfast had been polished off.· Night after night, she sat at her desk, hoping to polish off some quick, noncommittal little speech.
· Read in studio A sixteen year old busker from Oxford has polished up his act ... and won a national jazz competition.· They polished up the opera house, and every summer stars from the Metropolitan came out and performed.· Much later the method of dialectic clash was polished up by Hegel and adopted by Marx.· The market has since done much to polish up its self-regulation, though it is still far from squeaky-clean.· Prices perk up, trading volume revives and stories of return from the grave are polished up.· But, like showbusiness, it may take a year before EuroDisney polishes up its act.
NOUN· After she had scrubbed the floor, she polished the furniture.· The floor was polished to the consistency of Telly Savalas' head.· The floor was sanded and polished.
· After she had scrubbed the floor, she polished the furniture.· After she had polished the furniture, she cleaned the windows.· Before she cleaned the windows, she polished the furniture.· Before she polished the furniture, she scrubbed the floor.· She could not sit down to talk, but kept moving around the room polishing doors and furniture although they already sparkled.· Jeremiah was wearing his pin-stripes with the seat shiny from decades of polishing the council furniture with his bottom.
· Theodora remained standing, polishing her reading glasses vigorously.· Clinging to very fine cracks or imperfections is also out: geckos can cope with polished glass.· A barman was polishing glasses with his back to Rain.· He polished his pebble glasses on a handkerchief, a little diversion before he embarked on the full story.
· He was a man of high good humor, well-pressed double-breasted suits, manicured nails, and glossily polished shoes.· It was clean and the nails were polished a deep brown.
· When she arrived home she had found Larry polishing his shoes at the table.· He soon got to know the young kids who eked a living by carrying luggage, polishing shoes or running errands.· And she polished his shoes for him, whenever she got the chance.· I helped her prepare for the date, pressing her nicest blouse, lending her my best necklace and polishing her shoes.· I studied him in fascination as he polished his shoes each night after supper and inspected his suits for wrinkles and stains.· I polished my shoes and no mistake that morning.· He was an elderly man dressed in an ancient broadcloth suit and polished shoes.
· The work can then be cleaned, polished bright and the surface protected with a final coating of clear lacquer.· We make sure our staff is trained to polish every surface and clean every corner.· All our staff receive training on effective ways to polish every surface and clean every corner.· The sunlight glinted and sparkled from the polished metal surfaces of the slowly revolving, three-hundred-yard-diameter disk.· In some places, friction along a fault plane has produced polished and striated surfaces.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1- A little spit and polish, and a pair of determined, busy hands.
- After the inevitable nil-nil draw it's back to the management section for some between-match spit and polish.
- She and Ellen between them had turned out the dining-room, giving it extra spit and polish because of Christmas.
to make something smooth, bright, and shiny by rubbing it: I spent all afternoon polishing the silver.polish something with something Polish the lenses with a piece of tissue.2to improve a piece of writing, a speech etc by making slight changes to it before it is completely finished: Your essay is good, you just need to polish it a bit.—polishing noun [uncountable]polish somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb informal a)to finish food, work etc quickly or easily: Sam polished off the rest of the pizza. b)American English to kill or defeat a person or animal when they are weak or wounded: He was polished off with a shotgun blast to the face.polish something ↔ up phrasal verb1 (also polish up on something) to improve a skill or an ability by practising it: You should polish up your Spanish before you go to Chile.2to make something seem better or more attractive to other people: The company needs to polish up its image.3to polish somethingpolish1 verbpolish2 noun
polishpolish2 ●●● S3 noun EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A good polish now and then will keep the table looking new.
- furniture polish
- shoe polish
- What this dance troupe lacks in polish, they make up for in enthusiasm.
- A good polish reviver can be made by mixing equal parts of raw linseed oil, substitute turps and vinegar.
- Did I happen to have any nail polish with me?
- His face was a light brown, shoe polish mixed with wax.
- I wanted it to shine the windows and polish the tarnished feelings like a good spring house-cleaning.
- Not that any of this family into which Cara had chosen to marry had much polish.
- The polish on her fingernails neatly complemented the shade.
- The shoes I had on were white plastic trainers in need of polish.
- They were beginning to achieve astonishing economic success; and only their children would acquire a certain polish.
WORD SETS
bin, nounbin liner, nounboil, verbborax, nounBrillo pad, nounbroom, nounbroomstick, nouncarpet sweeper, nounchar, verbchar, nouncharlady, nouncharwoman, nounchimney sweep, nouncleaner, nouncleanser, nounclothes basket, nounclothesline, nounclothes peg, nounconditioner, noundeodorize, verbdescale, verbdisinfect, verbdisinfectant, noundry-clean, verbdust, verbduster, noundustpan, nounfabric softener, nounfeather duster, nounflush, verbFrench polish, nounfumigate, verbhamper, nounHoover, nounhoover, verbhygiene, nounhygienic, adjectivekitchen roll, nounlaundry basket, nounlimescale, nounline, nounload, nounmangle, nounmop, nounmop, verbpolish, nounrag, nounrinse, verbrinse, nounsanitary, adjectivesanitation, nounscour, verbscourer, nounscrub, verbscrub, nounscrubbing brush, nounshampoo, nounsoak, verbsoak, nounsoapflakes, nounsoap powder, nounsoapsuds, nounsoapy, adjectivesoda, nounsoftener, nounspin, verbspin-dryer, nounsqueegee, nounstarch, verbsuds, nounswab, verbsweep, verbsweep, nounsweeper, nounsweepings, nounswill, verbswill, nountea cloth, nountea towel, nountide-mark, nounturpentine, nounturps, nounvacuum, nounvacuum, verbvacuum cleaner, nounwash, nounwashable, adjectivewashboard, nounwashcloth, nounwashday, nounwasher, nounwasher-dryer, nounwashing, nounwashing line, nounwashing machine, nounwashing powder, nounwashing soda, nounwashing-up, nounwashing-up liquid, nounwashtub, nounwhisk broom, nounwindow cleaner, nounwipe, verbwire wool, nounwring, verbwringer, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The silverware had been polished to a high gloss.
· I washed and waxed the kitchen floor.
· The room smelt of floor polish.
The silverware had been polished to a high gloss. (=to put coloured liquid on your nails)· Don't paint short nails in dark colours.
· We used to clean our shoes every evening before we went to bed.
· I didn't want to spill anything on the polished surface of the table.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Each gets a final polish with his cloth, and he grins into them as if they were mirrors.· The main purpose of these pads is to give the water a final polish and continuous use is not really obligatory.· The greenkeepers were already sweeping the dew off the greens with elongated poles - the final polish to an immaculately groomed course.
NOUN· He had cropped his hair and put boot polish on his face.· I say surprising, because some are as digestible as boot polish while others are simply unwatchable.· We cut a mask for my face out of a balaclava and made it black with boot polish.· He must have put some Cherry Blossom boot polish on it.
· Why should anyone discuss floor polish?
· Exotic scent mingled with the more religious smells of incense, furniture polish and veneration.· I tried using some spray furniture polish, rubbed well in, on the areas that were jamming.· Is it mothballs or furniture polish or tobacco or vapour rub?· Rainbow may smell furniture polish, baby powder, simmering borscht.
· A muscle near her right cheekbone fluttered at erratic intervals, and the nail polish was chipped.· To remove melted plastic from an appliance, unplug appliance and dab off spot with nail polish remover.· That nail polish was a positive match, and she's got some explaining to do.· Parma and Jaivi, Hatti and Latchi called me over to their bed to try out the nail polishes.· As well as keeping some nail polish remover at home, make sure you carry some handy remover of emergencies.· Did I happen to have any nail polish with me?· Even fashion products such as nail polish or lipstick, which do have regular changes of colour, can benefit greatly.· Men are wearing nail polish, did you know?
· Missing were expensive black leather boots, the white shoe polish, a jumbo jar of Nivea.· His face was a light brown, shoe polish mixed with wax.· They also won't pay if you get any shoe polish on their socks.· She smelled of leather and shoe polish.· To age the look of the gourds, she buffs them with shoe polish.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[countable, uncountable] a liquid, powder, or other substance that you rub into a surface to make it smooth and shinyfurniture/shoe/floor etc polish → French polish2[singular] especially British English an act of polishing a surface to make it smooth and shiny: - A little spit and polish, and a pair of determined, busy hands.
- After the inevitable nil-nil draw it's back to the management section for some between-match spit and polish.
- She and Ellen between them had turned out the dining-room, giving it extra spit and polish because of Christmas.
An occasional polish will keep wall tiles looking good.3[uncountable] a high level of skill or style in the way someone performs, writes, or behaves: Carla’s writing has potential, but it lacks polish.4[singular] the smooth shiny appearance of something produced by polishing → spit and polish at spit2(5)