polishing

polishing
    n 1: the work of making something smooth and shiny by rubbing or
         waxing it; "the shining of shoes provided a meager living";
         "every Sunday he gave his car a good polishing" [syn:
         {shining}, {polishing}]
    

Polish \Pol"ish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Polished}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Polishing}.] [F. polir, L. polire. Cf. {Polite}, {-ish}]
   1. To make smooth and glossy, usually by friction; to
      burnish; to overspread with luster; as, to polish glass,
      marble, metals, etc.
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   2. Hence, to refine; to wear off the rudeness, coarseness, or
      rusticity of; to make elegant and polite; as, to polish
      life or manners. --Milton.
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   {To polish off}, to finish completely, as an adversary.
      [Slang] --W. H. Russell.
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Polishing \Pol"ish*ing\,
   a. & n. from {Polish}.
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   {Polishing iron}, an iron burnisher; esp., a small smoothing
      iron used in laundries.

   {Polishing slate}.
   (a) A gray or yellow slate, found in Bohemia and Auvergne,
       and used for polishing glass, marble, and metals.
   (b) A kind of hone or whetstone; hone slate.

   {Polishing snake}, a tool used in cleaning lithographic
      stones.

   {Polishing wheel}, a wheel or disk coated with, or composed
      of, abrading material, for polishing a surface.
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