n.
Pronunciation: ' vär-nish
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English vernisch, from Anglo-French vernis, from Old Italian or Medieval Latin; Old Italian vernice, from Medieval Latin veronic-, veronix sandarac
Date: 14th century
1 a : a liquid preparation that when applied to a surface dries to form a hard lustrous typically transparent coating b : the covering or glaze given by the application of varnish c (1) : something that suggests varnish by its gloss (2) : a coating (as of deposits in an internal combustion engine) comparable to varnish
2 : outside show : 1 GLOSS
3 chiefly British : a liquid nail polish
– var · nishy \ -ni-sh ē \ adjective