from
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
burnished
adj 1: made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting
a sheen or glow; "bright silver candlesticks"; "a
burnished brass knocker"; "she brushed her hair until it
fell in lustrous auburn waves"; "rows of shining
glasses"; "shiny black patents" [syn: {bright},
{burnished}, {lustrous}, {shining}, {shiny}]
from
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]