Burnished

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]
    

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