polish

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. sheen, luster, shine, glaze, gloss; refinement, culture; courtesytact, suavity, diplomacy; discernment, discrimination. —v. t. shine, buff, burnish; scrub, scour, brighten; refine, perfect. See smoothness, elegance, ornament, friction.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

Syn. shine, burnish, glaze; see finish 2 .

v.

Syn. burnish, buff, shine, brighten, rub, wax, clean, smooth, scour, furbish, finish, varnish, gloss; see also glaze , shine 3 .

Syn.- polish implies rubbing, as with a cloth or tool and, often, an abrasive, paste, etc., to produce a smooth or glossy surface [ to polish silver, glass, furniture, etc. ] ; burnish specifically suggests the rubbing of metals to make them bright and lustrous [burnished steel ] ; buff implies polishing with a stick or tool covered with specially treated leather (originally buffalo hide) or with a soft cloth or pad [ to buff the fingernails ] ; shine implies making bright and clean by polishing [ to shine shoes ]

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

1. shine sheen, brilliance, gloss, finish, luster, buff, glaze, varnish.

2. refinement cultivation, finish, grace, elegance, poise, savoir faire, suavity.

ANT.: 1. tarnish, grime. 2. imperfection, awkwardness, coarseness

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I verb 1. To give a gleaming luster to, usually through friction: buff1, burnish, furbish, glaze, gloss, shine, sleek. See LIGHT. 2. To bring to perfection or completion: perfect, refine, smooth. Idiom: smooth off the rough edges. See BETTER. 3. To improve by making minor changes or additions: retouch, touch up. See BETTER. II noun 1. A radiant brightness or glow, usually due to light reflected from a smooth surface: burnish, glaze, gloss, luster, sheen, shine, sleekness. See LIGHT. 2. Refined, effortless beauty of manner, form, and style: elegance, elegancy, grace, urbanity. See BEAUTIFUL, STYLE.