Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Burnish

Bur′nish

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Burnished
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Burnishing
.]
[OE.
burnischen
,
burnissen
,
burnen
, OF.
burnir
,
brunir
, to make brown, polish, F.
brunir
, fr. F.
brun
brown, fr. OHG.
br[GREEK]n
; cf. MHG.
briunen
to make brown, polish. See
Brown
,
Adj.
]
To cause to shine; to make smooth and bright; to polish; specifically, to polish by rubbing with something hard and smooth;
as, to
burnish
brass or paper
.
The frame of
burnished
steel, that east a glare
From far, and seemed to thaw the freezing air.
Dryden.
Now the village windows blaze,
Burnished
by the setting sun.
Cunningham.
Burnishing machine
,
a machine for smoothing and polishing by compression, as in making paper collars.

Bur′nish

,
Verb.
I.
To shine forth; to brighten; to become smooth and glossy, as from swelling or filling out; hence, to grow large.
A slender poet must have time to grow,
And spread and
burnish
as his brothers do.
Dryden.
My thoughts began to
burnish
, sprout, and swell.
Herbert.

Bur′nish

,
Noun.
The effect of burnishing; gloss; brightness; luster.
Crashaw.

Webster 1828 Edition


Burnish

BURN'ISH

,
Verb.
T.
To polish by friction; to make smooth, bright and glossy; as, to burnish steel.

BURN'ISH

,
Verb.
I.
To grow bright or glossy.

BURN'ISH

,
Noun.
Gloss; brightness; luster.

Definition 2024


burnish

burnish

English

Verb

burnish (third-person singular simple present burnishes, present participle burnishing, simple past and past participle burnished)

  1. (transitive) To make smooth or shiny by rubbing; to polish; to shine.
    In pottery, a stone is sometimes used to burnish a pot before firing, giving it a smooth, shiny look.
    • Dryden
      The frame of burnished steel, that cast a glare / From far, and seemed to thaw the freezing air.
    • Cunningham
      Now the village windows blaze, / Burnished by the setting sun.
  2. (intransitive) To shine forth; to brighten; to become smooth and glossy, as from swelling or filling out; hence, to grow large.
    • Dryden
      A slender poet must have time to grow, / And spread and burnish as his brothers do.
    • Herbert
      My thoughts began to burnish, sprout, and swell.

Synonyms

Translations