Polish

Pronunciation

• UK enPR: pŏ'lÄ­sh, IPA: /ˈpÉ’lɪʃ/
• US enPR: pä'lÄ­sh, IPA: /ˈpÉ‘lɪʃ/

Origin

From Middle English, from Old French poliss-, stem of some of the conjugated forms of polir, from Latin polīre ("to polish, make smooth").

Full definition of polish

Noun

1. A substance used to polish.A good silver polish will remove tarnish easily.
2. Cleanliness; smoothness, shininess.The floor was waxed to a high polish.
3. Refinement; cleanliness in performance or presentation.The lecturer showed a lot of polish at his last talk.

Synonyms

• (substance) wax
• (smoothness, shininess) finish, sheen, shine, shininess, smoothness
• (cleanliness in performance or presentation) class, elegance, panache, refinement, style

Derived terms

• depolish
• expolish
• repolish

Related terms

• polissoir

Verb

1. (transitive) To shine; to make a surface very smooth or shiny by rubbing, cleaning, or grinding.
   He polished up the chrome until it gleamed.
2. (refine; improve imperfections from)(transitive) To refine; remove imperfections from.
   The band has polished its performance since the last concert.
• 1699, William Temple, Heads designed for an essay on conversationsStudy gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.
3. (transitive) To apply shoe polish to shoes.
4. (intransitive) To become smooth, as from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy surface.
   Steel polishes well.
5. (transitive) To refine; to wear off the rudeness, coarseness, or rusticity of; to make elegant and polite.

Synonyms

• (to make smooth and shiny by rubbing) wax, shine, buff, furbish, burnish, smooth, bone
• (refine) hone, perfect, refine

Derived terms

• polishable
• polished
• polisher
• polishing
• polishment
• polishure
• repolish
• unpolish

Related terms

• polite