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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 paperThe frame of
From far, and seemed to thaw the freezing air.
burnished
steel, that east a glareFrom 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
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.
BURN'ISH
,Verb.
I.
BURN'ISH
,Noun.
Definition 2024
burnish
burnish
English
Verb
burnish (third-person singular simple present burnishes, present participle burnishing, simple past and past participle burnished)
- (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.
- (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.
- Dryden
Synonyms
Translations
to make smooth or shiny by rubbing
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