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bur·nish

(bûrnĭsh)

tr.v. bur·nished, bur·nish·ing, bur·nish·es

1. To make smooth or glossy by rubbing; polish.

2. To rub with a tool that serves especially to smooth or polish.

3. To improve or make more impressive: achievements that burnished her reputation.

A smooth glossy finish or appearance; luster.

[Middle English burnishen, from Old French burnir, burniss-, variant of brunir, from brun, shining, of Germanic origin; see bher-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

burnish·er n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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