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Burnish   /bˈərnɪʃ/   Listen
verb
Burnish  v. t.  (past & past part. burnished; pres. part. burnishing)  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 paper. "The frame of burnished steel, that east a glare From far, and seemed to thaw the freezing air." "Now the village windows blaze, Burnished by the setting sun."
Burnishing machine, a machine for smoothing and polishing by compression, as in making paper collars.



Burnish  v. 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 burnish as his brothers do." "My thoughts began to burnish, sprout, and swell."



noun
Burnish  n.  The effect of burnishing; gloss; brightness; luster.






Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48








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"Burnish" Quotes from Famous Books



... them of life and a liegeman's joys. None have I left to lift the sword, or to cleanse the carven cup of price, beaker bright. My brave are gone. And the helmet hard, all haughty with gold, shall part from its plating. Polishers sleep who could brighten and burnish the battle-mask; and those weeds of war that were wont to brave over bicker of shields the bite of steel rust with their bearer. The ringed mail fares not far with famous chieftain, at side of hero! No harp's delight, no glee-wood's gladness! No good hawk now flies through the hall! ...
— Beowulf • Anonymous

... was not made of glass, (for glass mirrors cannot be shown to have existed before the thirteenth century,) but of polished metals; and amongst these, silver was in the greatest esteem, as being capable of a higher burnish than other metals, and less liable to tarnish. Metallic mirrors are alluded to by Job, xxxvii. 18. But it appears from the Second Book of Moses, xxxviii. 8, that in that age, copper must have been the metal employed throughout the harems of Palestine. For a general ...
— Theological Essays and Other Papers v2 • Thomas de Quincey

... your mark is at the fairest. Forswear her love, and seal it with a kiss Upon the burnish'd splendour of this blade, Or it shall rip the entrails ...
— A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Vol. IX • Various

... warrior's play. Though the dove of peace is dancing to the sounding truce harp's lay. Arbitrate if you have to; smooth it o'er if you must, But, be prepared for battle, to parry the war king's thrust. Don't foster the chip on the shoulder; don't hasten the slap in the face. But, burnish your sword, ere you're older,—the blade of the ancient race. Hark to the deeds of your fathers; cherish the stories I've told, Then—go and do like, if you have to—and die—like a Hero ...
— Famous Privateersmen and Adventurers of the Sea • Charles H. L. Johnston

... beeswax; polish, shoe polish. [art of cutting and polishing gemstones] lapidary. [person who polishes gemstones] lapidary, lapidarian. V. smooth, smoothen[obs3]; plane; file; mow, shave; level, roll; macadamize; polish, burnish, calender[obs3], glaze; iron, hot-press, mangle; lubricate &c. (oil) 332. Adj. smooth; polished &c. v.; leiodermatous[obs3], slick, velutinous[obs3]; even; level &c. 213; plane &c. (flat) 251; sleek, glossy; silken, silky; lanate[obs3], downy, ...
— Roget's Thesaurus


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