[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

burnish \bur"nish\, v. i.
   to shine forth; to brighten; to become smooth and glossy, as
   from swelling or filling out; hence, to grow large.
   1913 webster

         a slender poet must have time to grow,
         and spread and burnish as his brothers do. --dryden.
   1913 webster

         my thoughts began to burnish, sprout, and swell.
                                                  --herbert.
   1913 webster

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

burnish \bur"nish\, n.
   the effect of burnishing; gloss; brightness; luster.
   --crashaw.
   1913 webster

[3] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

burnish \bur"nish\, v. t. imp.  p. p. burnished; p. pr. 
   vb. n. burnishing. oe. burnischen, burnissen, burnen, of.
   burnir, brunir, to make brown, polish, f. brunir, fr. f. brun
   brown, fr. ohg. br?n; cf. mhg. briunen to make brown, polish.
   see brown, a.
   to cause to shine; to make smooth and bright; to polish;
   specifically, to polish by rubbing with something hard and
   smooth; as, to burnish brass or paper.
   1913 webster

         the frame of burnished steel, that east a glare
         from far, and seemed to thaw the freezing air.
                                                  --dryden.
   1913 webster

         now the village windows blaze,
         burnished by the setting sun.            --cunningham.
   1913 webster

   burnishing machine, a machine for smoothing and polishing
      by compression, as in making paper collars.
      1913 webster
see also:
burnished burnishing brown burnishing machine 

[4] : WordNet (r) 2.0

burnish
     n : the property of being smooth and shiny syn: polish, gloss,
          glossiness
     v : polish and make shiny; "buff the wooden floors"; "buff my
         shoes" syn: buff, furbish, flush
see also:
polish gloss glossiness buff furbish flush 

[5] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

22 moby thesaurus words for "burnish":
   buff, dress, finish, furbish, glance, glaze, gloss, luster, polish,
   rub, rub up, sand, sandblast, sandpaper, scour, shine, sleek,
   slick, slick down, smooth, varnish, wax

Burnish >> B Words
Burnish, definition of term: Burnish
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