burnish

[bur-nish] /ˈbɜr nɪʃ/

verb (used with object)

to polish (a surface) by friction.

to make smooth and bright.

Engraving. to flatten and enlarge the dots of (a halftone) by rubbing with a tool.

noun

gloss; brightness; luster:

the burnish of brass andirons.

Origin

1275-1325; Middle English burnissh < Anglo-French burniss-, Middle French bruniss- (long stem of burnir, brunir to darken, polish), equivalent to brun- brown + -iss- -ish²

Related forms

burnishable, adjective

burnishment, noun

unburnished, adjective

Synonyms

1. buff, shine.

Examples from the web for burnish

He must be careful not to trade away his goal of near-universal coverage to burnish his credentials as a deficit-cutter.
The burnish of private money also helped make the college more of a supportive community.
It is also keen to burnish its anti-inflation credentials.
The last vestiges of sunlight gild and burnish the pink walls.
Donovan, who ran the marketing arm of the company, helped burnish its outlaw image.
Palace propagandists have struggled to burnish his image.
He left the state with a budget deficit, but has since tried to burnish his credentials as a hawk on spending.
He is serving his second and final term in office, a natural time to look overseas to burnish his legacy.
Many wonder whether his clean-government drive is intended to burnish his credentials in a looming struggle for power.
On the one hand, their involvement lets them burnish their brands in a fast-growing market.

British Dictionary definitions for burnish

burnish

/ˈbɜːnɪʃ/

verb

to make or become shiny or smooth by friction; polish

noun

a shiny finish; lustre

Derived Forms

burnishable, adjective
burnisher, noun

Word Origin

C14 burnischen, from Old French brunir to make brown, from brunbrown

Word Origin and History for burnish

early 14c., from Old French burniss- present participle stem of burnir, metathesis of brunir "to shine, gleam, sparkle" (trans.), "to polish, make sparkle, make bright, shine," from brun "brown; polished," from a Germanic source (cf. Old High German brun, Old Norse brunn "bright, polished; brown;" see brown (adj.)). The connection to "brown" might be explained if the original objects in mind were wooden ones. Related: Burnished; burnishing.