burnish
/ˈbəːnɪʃ
/verb [with object] (usually as adjective burnished)
1Polish (something, especially metal) by rubbing: highly burnished armour...
- His armor, once immaculately burnished gold, was now tarnished and dented in a dozen locations.
- Sunlight tracked a path of sparkling white highlights toward the skyline, a light as harsh as if it were reflecting off burnished metal.
- On shelves and bookcases around the flat I could see antique spanners, old sextants, shiny brass things, burnished steel telescopes.
Synonyms
polish (up), shine, brighten, rub up/down, buff (up), smooth, glaze
archaic furbish
1.1Enhance or improve: a man who took advantage of any opportunity to burnish his image...
- Bonds hasn't exactly burnished his image, either.
- They have thought constantly about each other, but will the real person live up to the idealized image that was burnished into their minds for ten years?
- It not only burnished the family image but was also his one surpassing business triumph.
noun [in singular]
The shine on a highly polished surface.She wiped them off and underneath the furry tendrils of dust, the burnish of the old polish still gleamed....
- By the time Israel Zangwill's play of that name was published in 1908, the ‘melting pot’ had acquired all the burnish of an American ideal.
- And beyond the glitter of opulence, it must also glow with the burnish of remembrance, light up with the luster of nostalgia.
Derivatives
burnisher
/ noun ...- Finally, burnishing and polishing of the wood is carried out with burnishers and abrasives of varying texture and refinement.
- With these first impressions, I work back into the plate with a scraper, burnisher and emery paper to enhance the lights and accent the motif.
- For instance, a manufacturer may recommend that its floor covering be maintained with a high-speed burnisher.
Origin
Middle English: from Old French burniss-, lengthened stem of burnir, variant of brunir 'make brown', from brun 'brown'.