polish
polish is defined in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913) with 6 senses, and appears in Roget's Thesaurus (1911) with 40 related terms. The full text of each entry is reproduced verbatim below.
Definitions
- 1.To make smooth and glossy, usually by friction; to burnish; to overspread with luster; as, to polish glass, marble, metals, etc.
- 2.Hence, to refine; to wear off the rudeness, coarseness, or rusticity of; to make elegant and polite; as, to polish life or manners. Milton. To polish off, to finish completely, as an adversary. [Slang] W. H. Russell.
- 3.To become smooth, as from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy surface; as, steel polishes well. Bacon.
- 4.A smooth, glossy surface, usually produced by friction; a gloss or luster. Another prism of clearer glass and better polish. Sir I. Newton.
- 5.Anything used to produce a gloss.
- 6.Fig.: Refinement; elegance of manners. This Roman polish and this smooth behavior. Addison.
Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
Synonyms
Related terms (Roget's 1911)
- abrasion
- affriction
- anointment
- arrosion
- attrite
- attrition
- confrication
- contrition
- curry
- detrition
- down
- edge
- elbow
- file
- fray
- frication
- friction
- glycerine
- gnaw
- graze
- grease
- grind
- lather
- limature
- lubricate
- lubrication
- lubricitate
- lubricous
- lubrification
- massage
- oil
- out
- powder
- rasp
- reduce
- rolling
- rosin
- roughness
- rub
- rubbing
Source: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
Related questions
Reverse-dictionary questions
Definition-first questions whose answer is polish.
- What is to make smooth and glossy, usually by friction; to burnish; to overspread with luster; as, to polish glass, marble, metals, etc called?
- What is to become smooth, as from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy surface; as, steel polishes well. Bacon called?
- What is a smooth, glossy surface, usually produced by friction; a gloss or luster. Another prism of clearer glass and better polish. Sir I. Newton called?
- What is fig.: Refinement; elegance of manners. This Roman polish and this smooth behavior. Addison called?
Sources
- Definitions: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Synonyms: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/word/polish
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