burnish : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: burnish	by the DICT Development Group
4 results for burnish
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
burnish n the property of being smooth and shiny [syn: polish, gloss, glossiness, burnish] v polish and make shiny; "buff the wooden floors"; "buff my shoes" Synonym(s): buff, burnish, furbish
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Burnish \Bur"nish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Burnished}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Burnishing}.] [OE. burnischen, burnissen, burnen, OF. burnir, brunir, to make brown, polish, F. brunir, fr. F. brun brown, fr. OHG. br[?]n; cf. MHG. briunen to make brown, polish. See {Brown}, a.] 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. --Dryden. Now the village windows blaze, Burnished by the setting sun. --Cunningham. {Burnishing machine}, a machine for smoothing and polishing by compression, as in making paper collars.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Burnish \Bur"nish\, 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. --Dryden. My thoughts began to burnish, sprout, and swell. --Herbert.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Burnish \Bur"nish\, n. The effect of burnishing; gloss; brightness; luster. --Crashaw.