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Definition of varnish noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

varnish

noun
 
/ˈvɑːnɪʃ/
 
/ˈvɑːrnɪʃ/
[uncountable, countable]
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  1. a liquid that is painted onto wood, metal, etc. and that forms a hard shiny surface that you can see through when it is dry
    • I’ll give the shelves a coat of varnish.
    see also nail varnish
    Extra Examples
    • The painting was obscured by discoloured/​discolored varnish and a heavy layer of grime.
    • The table needed two coats of varnish.
    • You need a good quality varnish to protect the timber.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • clear
    • transparent
    • gloss
    … of varnish
    • coat
    verb + varnish
    • apply
    • remove
    • scrape away
    varnish + verb
    • dry
    • protect something
    See full entry
    Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French vernis, from medieval Latin veronix ‘fragrant resin’ or medieval Greek berenikē, probably from Berenice, a town in Cyrenaica, a region of NE Libya.
See varnish in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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