From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishvarnishvar‧nish1 /ˈvɑːnɪʃ $ ˈvɑːr-/ noun [countable, uncountable] DHTIa clear liquid that is painted onto things, especially things made of wood, to protect them, or the hard shiny surface produced by this
Examples from the Corpus
varnish• Six years ago she had begun stripping the blackened and crazed varnish off the interior woodwork.• Old-fashioned amateurs used to admire colours with a golden glow, which conservators have demonstrated were the effect of discoloured varnish.• Stick with mastic varnish, then seal with layer of lead foil pressed into wet paint and seal again with lead.• They were slim, pale and elegant, and she wore colourless or pearl nail varnish.• They were married in a room smelling of varnish and floor wax, and official documents growing musty in the filing cabinets.• Like the secret of Stradivari's varnish, this extra dimension defies analysis.• Direct sunlight plays havoc with the varnish.varnishvarnish2 verb [transitive] TICto cover something with varnish→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
varnish• Apply a wood preservative that can be painted over or varnished afterwards.• He fixed it, varnished and painted it.• Tongue-and-groove panelling will make a complete transformation: stain it, varnish it or paint it.• When the paint has dried, varnish it over with clear nail varnish to keep the colours bright and shiny.• And then he varnishes the whole to a high shine.Origin varnish1 (1300-1400) Old French vernis, from Medieval Latin veronix type of resin used for making varnish 