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Antonyms for burnish

Grammar : Verb
Spell : bur-nish
Phonetic Transcription : ˈbɜr nɪʃ

Definition of burnish

Origin :
  • early 14c., from Old French burniss- present participle stem of burnir, metathesis of brunir "to shine, gleam, sparkle" (trans.), "to polish, make sparkle, make bright, shine," from brun "brown; polished," from a Germanic source (cf. Old High German brun, Old Norse brunn "bright, polished; brown;" see brown (adj.)). The connection to "brown" might be explained if the original objects in mind were wooden ones. Related: Burnished; burnishing.
  • verb polish, brighten
Example sentences :
  • The burnish was gone from every part of the landscape, and a mild twilight reigned.
  • Extract from : « Feats on the Fiord » by Harriet Martineau
  • The perfect night sky shone coldly with the burnish of its million stars.
  • Extract from : « The Heart of Unaga » by Ridgwell Cullum
  • Their first care was to burnish up their armour and their weapons.
  • Extract from : « The Seven Champions of Christendom » by W. H. G. Kingston
  • Burnish them if necessary, and you will see a band of light reflected from each wire.
  • Extract from : « The Aeroplane Speaks » by H. Barber
  • This was a great avenue of trees, lined with the burnish of copper beeches.
  • Extract from : « The Spell of Belgium » by Isabel Anderson
  • And when they be about to burnish they smite the ground with their feet and welter like a horse.
  • Extract from : « The Master of Game » by Second Duke of York, Edward
  • No attempt should be made to burnish gilding done in this way.
  • Extract from : « Illumination and its Development in the Present Day » by Sidney Farnsworth
  • There was his little moustache-brush, and phial of brilliantine to burnish it.
  • Extract from : « Diana Tempest, Volume III (of 3) » by Mary Cholmondeley
  • The lectern he had done his best to burnish; but it was still a cripple from the fire.
  • Extract from : « Peccavi » by E. W. Hornung
  • You can also burnish these useless little blotches in the mountains.
  • Extract from : « A Treatise on Etching » by Maxime Lalanne

Synonyms for burnish

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019