burnish

From Middle English burnysshen, burnischen, a borrowing from Old French burnir, from its stem burniss-, variant of brunir (“to polish, make brown”), from Old French brun (“brown”). More at English brown.

burnish (third-person singular simple present burnishes, present participle burnishing, simple past and past participle burnished)

1. (transitive) To make smooth or shiny by rubbing; to polish; to shine.

   In pottery, a stone is sometimes used to burnish a pot before firing, giving it a smooth, shiny look.

   • Dryden

     The frame of burnished steel, that cast a glare / From far, and seemed to thaw the freezing air.

   • Cunningham

     Now the village windows blaze, / Burnished by the setting sun.

2. (intransitive) To shine forth; to brighten; to become smooth and glossy, as from swelling or filling out; hence, to grow large.
   • Dryden

     A slender poet must have time to grow, / And spread and burnish as his brothers do.

   • Herbert

     My thoughts began to burnish, sprout, and swell.

• (to make smooth and shiny by rubbing): wax, shine, polish, furbish, buff

burnish

1. polish; lustre