'Varnish' definitions:
Definition of 'varnish'
From: WordNet
noun
A coating that provides a hard, lustrous, transparent finish to a surface
verb
Cover with varnish [syn: varnish, seal]
Definition of 'Varnish'
From: GCIDE
- Varnish \Var"nish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Varnished; p. pr. & vb. n. Varnishing.] [Cf. F. vernir, vernisser. See Varnish, n.] [1913 Webster]
- 1. To lay varnish on; to cover with a liquid which produces, when dry, a hard, glossy surface; as, to varnish a table; to varnish a painting. [1913 Webster]
- 2. To cover or conceal with something that gives a fair appearance; to give a fair coloring to by words; to gloss over; to palliate; as, to varnish guilt. "Beauty doth varnish age." --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- Close ambition, varnished o'er with zeal. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- Cato's voice was ne'er employed To clear the guilty and to varnish crimes. --Addison. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Varnish'
From: GCIDE
- Varnish \Var"nish\, n. [OE. vernish, F. vernis, LL. vernicium; akin to F. vernir to varnish, fr. (assumed) LL. vitrinire to glaze, from LL. vitrinus glassy, fr. L. vitrum glass. See Vitreous.] [1913 Webster]
- 1. A viscid liquid, consisting of a solution of resinous matter in an oil or a volatile liquid, laid on work with a brush, or otherwise. When applied the varnish soon dries, either by evaporation or chemical action, and the resinous part forms thus a smooth, hard surface, with a beautiful gloss, capable of resisting, to a greater or less degree, the influences of air and moisture. [1913 Webster]
- Note: According to the sorts of solvents employed, the ordinary kinds of varnish are divided into three classes: spirit, turpentine, and oil varnishes. --Encyc. Brit [1913 Webster]
- 2. That which resembles varnish, either naturally or artificially; a glossy appearance. [1913 Webster]
- The varnish of the holly and ivy. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]
- 3. An artificial covering to give a fair appearance to any act or conduct; outside show; gloss. [1913 Webster]
- And set a double varnish on the fame The Frenchman gave you. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- Varnish tree (Bot.), a tree or shrub from the juice or resin of which varnish is made, as some species of the genus Rhus, especially Rhus vernicifera of Japan. The black varnish of Burmah is obtained from the Melanorrh[oe]a usitatissima, a tall East Indian tree of the Cashew family. See Copal, and Mastic. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'varnish'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- acting,
- adorn,
- affectation,
- air brush,
- alibi,
- allow for,
- allowance,
- apology,
- appearance,
- apply paint,
- art paper,
- attitudinizing,
- becloud,
- bedaub,
- bedizen,
- befog,
- begild,
- belie,
- besmear,
- bias,
- blanket,
- blind,
- bluff,
- bluffing,
- brush,
- brush on paint,
- buff,
- burnish,
- calcimine,
- camera lucida,
- camera obscura,
- camouflage,
- canvas,
- chalk,
- charcoal,
- cheating,
- cloak,
- cloud,
- coat,
- coating,
- color,
- coloring,
- complexion,
- conceal,
- convolute,
- cover,
- cover story,
- cover up,
- cover-up,
- crayon,
- curtain,
- dab,
- daub,
- deception,
- decontamination,
- decorate,
- deep-dye,
- delusion,
- device,
- diminish,
- dip,
- disguise,
- dissemblance,
- dissemble,
- dissembling,
- dissimulation,
- distemper,
- distort,
- distract attention from,
- double-dye,
- drawing paper,
- drawing pencil,
- dress up,
- drier,
- dye,
- ease,
- easel,
- eclipse,
- elaborate,
- embellish,
- emblazon,
- embroider,
- enamel,
- engild,
- enrich,
- ensconce,
- enshroud,
- envelop,
- excuse,
- extenuate,
- extenuating circumstances,
- extenuation,
- extenuative,
- facade,
- face,
- facing,
- fakery,
- faking,
- false air,
- false front,
- false show,
- falsify,
- falsity,
- fast-dye,
- feigning,
- feint,
- festoon,
- film,
- finish,
- fixative,
- flourish,
- four-flushing,
- fraud,
- fresco,
- front,
- fudge,
- fur,
- furbish,
- garble,
- gild,
- gilding,
- gilt,
- glance,
- glaze,
- gloss,
- gloss over,
- grain,
- ground,
- guise,
- handle,
- hide,
- hue,
- humbug,
- humbuggery,
- ignore,
- illuminate,
- imbue,
- imposture,
- ingrain,
- involve,
- japan,
- keep under cover,
- lacquer,
- lame excuse,
- lay figure,
- lay on color,
- lessen,
- load with ornament,
- locus standi,
- luster,
- make allowance for,
- mask,
- masquerade,
- maulstick,
- medium,
- meretriciousness,
- mince,
- miscite,
- miscolor,
- misconstrue,
- misdirect,
- misinterpret,
- misquote,
- misrender,
- misreport,
- misrepresent,
- misstate,
- misuse,
- mitigate,
- mitigation,
- obfuscate,
- obscure,
- occult,
- ornament,
- ostensible motive,
- ostentation,
- outward show,
- overcharge,
- overlay,
- overload,
- overstate,
- paint,
- paintbrush,
- palette,
- palette knife,
- palliate,
- palliation,
- palliative,
- parget,
- pastel,
- pellicle,
- pencil,
- pervert,
- pigment,
- pigments,
- playacting,
- polish,
- poor excuse,
- pose,
- posing,
- posture,
- pretense,
- pretension,
- pretext,
- prime,
- protestation,
- public motive,
- put-off,
- qualification,
- refuge,
- representation,
- revetment,
- rub,
- scale,
- scour,
- scratchboard,
- screen,
- scum,
- seeming,
- semblance,
- shade,
- shadow,
- sham,
- shellac,
- shine,
- show,
- shroud,
- siccative,
- simulacrum,
- simulation,
- sketchbook,
- sketchpad,
- skin,
- slant,
- sleek,
- slick,
- slick down,
- slop on paint,
- slur over,
- smear,
- smoke screen,
- soft-pedal,
- soften,
- softening,
- spatula,
- speciousness,
- spray gun,
- stain,
- stalking-horse,
- stipple,
- strain,
- stratagem,
- stump,
- subterfuge,
- sugarcoat,
- tinct,
- tincture,
- tinge,
- tint,
- titivate,
- tone,
- torture,
- trick,
- trick out,
- twist,
- undercoat,
- understate,
- veil,
- veneer,
- warp,
- wash,
- wax,
- white,
- whiten,
- whitewash,
- whitewashing,
- window dressing