varnish
pronunciation
How to pronounce varnish in British English:
UK [ˈvɑːnɪʃ]
How to pronounce varnish in American English:
US [ˈvɑːrnɪʃ]
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- Noun:
- paint that provides a hard glossy transparent coating
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- Verb:
- cover with varnish
Word Origin
- varnish
- varnish: [14] Varnish may come ultimately from Berenice (Greek Bereníkē), the name of a city in Cyrenaica, Libya, which was credited with the first use of varnishes. Bereníkē became a generic term in medieval Greek, and is thought to lie behind medieval Latin veronix ‘resin used in varnishes’, which passed into English via Old French vernis.
- varnish (n.)
- mid-14c., from Old French vernis "varnish" (12c.), from Medieval Latin vernix "odorous resin," of uncertain origin, perhaps from Late Greek verenike, from Greek Berenike, name of an ancient city in Libya (modern Bengasi) credited with the first use of varnishes. The town is named for Berenike II, queen of Egypt (see Berenice). Figurative sense of "specious gloss, pretense," is recorded from 1560s.
- varnish (v.)
- late 14c.; see varnish (n.). Related: Varnished; varnishing. Century Dictionary defines varnishing day as "A day before the opening of a picture exhibition on which exhibitors have the privilege of retouching or varnishing their pictures after they have been placed on the walls." The custom is said to date to the early years of 19c.
Example
- 1. Varnish is the stuff of legends .
- 2. Varnish is the glossy protective layer applied to wooden furniture and other surfaces .
- 3. It was the resin from these forests that was used in making varnish .
- 4. Tracing the reason its called varnish back through time takes us on some interesting twists and turns .
- 5. The city had an even earlier greek name that might explain why berenike begot varnish .