Definition of varnish - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
finishhard, shiny coating applied to protect wood surfaces
- The varnish on the wood gleamed in the sunlight.
2.
appearanceRare superficial or deceptive appearanceRare
- His charm was just a varnish over his true intentions.
Verb
1.
artapply a glossy coating to a surface
- She decided to varnish the wooden table.
2.
concealmentgloss over a defect or flaw
- They varnished the report to hide the errors.
Images of varnish
hard, shiny coating applied to protect wood surfaces
Expressions with varnish
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
alter the truth to make it more appealing
She tends to varnish the truth to avoid conflicts.
hide something bad by making it look better
They tried to varnish over the company's problems.
cosmetic lacquer for coloring or shining nails
She applied red nail varnish before the party.
tree native to Asia yielding oil for varnishes
The nuts of the varnish tree are used in varnish production.
clear coating from plants used for wood protection
The table was coated with natural varnish for a shiny finish.
liquid used to make paintings shiny and protected
The artist applied oil varnish to the finished painting.
varnish made by dissolving shellac in alcohol
The antique table was coated with shellac varnish.
quick-drying varnish used for wood finishing
Spirit varnish is preferred for its quick-drying properties.
Origin of varnish
Middle French, vernis (varnish)
Terms with varnish included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
cleaning
chemical used to remove paint or varnish
spray device
device spraying paint or varnish with air
craft
varnish made of shellac in alcohol
protective layer
additional protective coating like paint or varnish
solvent
liquid used to dissolve paint or varnish
composition
paint with pigments in a varnish medium
art
coated with a pigment or varnish
resin material
resin from Australian trees used in varnish and paper
varnish
black bituminous varnish used for coating surfaces
botany
plant producing resin used in incense and varnish
oleoresin uses
oleoresin from Copaifera trees used in varnish, ointment, or perfume
tree resin
hard sap from southeast asian trees, used for varnish
crafts
covered with layers of paper and varnish
furniture
last layer of varnish or polish
coating
coated with a hard black varnish
craft
decorative technique using varnish to imitate Japanese lacquerware
art
object or surface finished with this decorative varnish
nature
tree resin used to make varnish and polish wood
chem lab
poisonous lead salt used in dyes, medicine, varnish and enamel
protection
extra protective layer like paint or varnish
gum
brittle pale yellow resin used for varnish and incense
material
brittle orange-red resin with a strong smell used in varnish
coating
coat or varnish with shellac
plant
sticky resin from a Mediterranean tree used in varnish
Examples of varnish in a sentence
Varnish gives the table a polished look. The varnish of politeness hid his anger. Beneath the varnish of success, he was unhappy. He plans to varnish the old bookshelf. They varnish the floors every spring. She tried to varnish the truth with lies.
He varnished his mistakes with excuses.
View all translations of varnish
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:vernis, vernir, ...
- German:Lack, lackieren, ...
- Italian:vernice, verniciare, ...
- Spanish:barniz, barnizar, ...
- Portuguese:verniz, envernizar, ...
- Chinese:清漆, 上漆, ...
- Japanese:ニス, ニスを塗る, ...
- Arabic:وَرْنيش, طَلى بِطِلاء لامِع, ...
- Hebrew:לַכָּה, לְצַפּוֹת בְּלַכָּה, ...
- Russian:лак, покрыть лаком, ...
- Ukrainian:лак, покривати лаком, ...
- Hindi:वार्निश, वार्निश करना, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the