Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
verb (used with object)
- to polish (a surface) by friction.
- to make smooth and bright.
- Engraving. to flatten and enlarge the dots of (a halftone) by rubbing with a tool.
noun
- gloss; brightness; luster: the burnish of brass andirons.
verb
- to make or become shiny or smooth by friction; polish
noun
- a shiny finish; lustre
early 14c., from Old French burniss- present participle stem of burnir, metathesis of brunir “to shine, gleam, sparkle” (trans.), “to polish, make sparkle, make bright, shine,” from brun “brown; polished,” from a Germanic source (cf. Old High German brun, Old Norse brunn “bright, polished; brown;” see brown (adj.)). The connection to “brown” might be explained if the original objects in mind were wooden ones. Related: Burnished; burnishing.