I. noun
also shel·lack shəˈlak
( -s )
Etymology: shell (I) + lac, lack; translation of French laque en écailles
1. : purified lac that is prepared in the form of thin orange or yellow flakes usually by heating and filtering seed lac and is often bleached white and that is used chiefly in varnishes, polishing and sealing waxes, binding agents, stiffening agents (as for felt hats), electric insulators, phonograph records, and other molded products
2. : a preparation of lac dissolved usually in alcohol and used chiefly in filling wood and as a varnish — compare lacquer 1a
3.
a. : a composition containing shellac used for pressing phonograph records
b. : an old 78 rpm phonograph record
a shellac containing only two songs — Thomas Lask
II. transitive verb
( shellacked also shellaced -kt ; shellacked also shellaced ; shellacking also shellacing -kiŋ ; shellacs )
1. : to coat or otherwise treat with shellac or a shellac varnish
2. : to defeat decisively or ignominiously : administer a beating to : drub
played truant and got soundly shellaced for it when he was found out — William Irish