~ 1
■ noun
1》 a yellowish-beige colour.
2》 a dull yellow leather with a velvety surface.
3》 a cloth or pad used for polishing.
■ verb polish (something).
↘give (leather) a velvety finish by removing the surface of the grain.
■ adjective (also ~ed ) N. Amer. informal in good physical shape; muscular.
Phrases
in the ~ informal naked.
Origin
C16: prob. from Fr. ~le , from Ital. bufalo , from late L. bufalus (see ~alo ).
————————
~ 2
■ noun informal a person who is interested in and very knowledgeable about a particular subject: a computer ~.
Origin
early 20th cent.: from ~ 1 , orig. applied to fire-watchers, because of the ~ uniforms worn by New York firemen.