polish

1 of 4

verb

pol·​ish ˈpä-lish How to pronounce polish (audio)
polished; polishing; polishes

transitive verb

1
: to make smooth and glossy usually by friction : burnish
2
: to smooth, soften, or refine in manners or condition
3
: to bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state : perfect

intransitive verb

: to become smooth or glossy by or as if by friction
polisher noun

polish

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: a smooth glossy surface : luster
b
: freedom from rudeness or coarseness : culture
c
: a state of high development or refinement
2
: the action or process of polishing
3
: a preparation that is used to produce a gloss and often a color for the protection and decoration of a surface
furniture polish
nail polish

Polish

3 of 4

adjective

Pol·​ish ˈpō-lish How to pronounce Polish (audio)
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, the Poles, or Polish

Polish

4 of 4

noun (2)

: the Slavic language of the Poles

Examples of polish in a Sentence

Verb He spent the summer polishing his math skills. you'll need to polish your shoes with a clean rag before the performance Noun (1) I need more shoe polish. Did you use a wax polish on the table or an oil-based one? The movie has the polish we've come to expect from that director. He's rude and lacks polish.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
After being oxidized in a kiln, the fish are polished and painted by hand using a translucent blue lacquer. Carol Besler, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024 Maybe the Niners can polish their diamond in the rough. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 But Krause’s business grew, inspiring his first big product, a buffing pad for polishing cars. Kevin Sanchez Farez, Fortune, 2 Feb. 2024 The exercises were aimed at polishing his first step and creating a smoother route to the baseball. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2024 Final Touches Lastly, the hat undergoes a secondary flanging before arriving at the hatter’s bench for final finishing, including creasing, polishing, and gentle steaming to relax the fibers and bring out the colors. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2024 That work included sweeping, mopping, polishing glassware and silverware, and taking out trash, according to the lawsuit. Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024 Final touches to the special-edition bottles include buffing and polishing for maximum shine. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2024 The studio also quietly hired Eric Pearson to polish the script for Fantastic Four, which will shoot this summer in London. Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
Cons The thicker consistency made applying the second layer of polish slightly more tedious than the first. Kate Watson, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 Essie Don't Burst My Bubble $7 View On Ulta $10 $10 Reminiscent of hydrangeas blooming in your grandmother's yard, this periwinkle polish will pop amongst all the pinks. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2024 Orange fingernail polish – which is the color that Tindall was last seen wearing on a social media post on June 7 – helped detectives identify the girl. Steve Almasy, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 The servers’ polish extends to their dress: white shirt, apron and tie — smart uniforms to match Cousin’s solid cooking. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 True to form, the nails are a sharp stiletto style, covered in a pearly, luminescent nude-pink polish with a shimmery, frosty finish. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Feb. 2024 Each polish leaves a high-gloss finish and is universally flattering. Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The long-lasting polish mimics the sheen and texture of a gel polish and is said to last up to 10 days. Wendy Vazquez, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2024 These styles provide the perfect amount of polish to any look and don’t compromise on comfort with a low heel. Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Cass’ grandfather, Harry Warner, was the eldest Warner brother, a Polish immigrant who co-founded the studio in 1923 after jumping into the early days of movie mania in 1905 with brothers Sam, Albert and Jack. Chris Yogerst, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024 Strong public pressure pushed Polish companies to retreat quickly from Russia following the start of war in Ukraine in February 2022, with shoppers boycotting brands which failed to do so. Konrad Krasuski, Fortune Europe, 15 Mar. 2024 In the translator Jennifer Croft’s first novel, a band of translators from around the world navigates romantic entanglements and their hero worship of an elusive Polish author. Sophie Pinkham, The New York Review of Books, 14 Mar. 2024 Juliette Binoche, the Oscar-winning French actor whose sprawling career shows no signs of slowing down, is set to succeed Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland as president of the European Film Academy. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Johnson’s lack of clarity on a path forward was criticized Tuesday by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who told the speaker in a meeting that his indecision is consequential for Ukraine, the United States and all Western countries. Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Johnsonville recalled Polish kielbasa turkey sausage produced between Oct. 30 and 31, 2023. Journal Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2024 Malevich, for instance, was born in Ukraine to Polish parents and lived in Russia for many years. Constant Méheut, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 While searching a Polish forest in November, a metal detectorist made a rare discovery: a 4,000-year-old copper dagger that may have belonged to an elite warrior. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'polish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English polisshen, from Anglo-French poliss-, stem of polir, from Latin polire

Adjective

Pole

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adjective

1592, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of polish was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near polish

Cite this Entry

“Polish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polish. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

polish

1 of 4 verb
pol·​ish ˈpäl-ish How to pronounce polish (audio)
1
: to make smooth and glossy usually by rubbing
2
: to smooth or improve in manners, condition, or style
3
: to bring to a highly developed or finished state
polish a technique
polisher noun

polish

2 of 4 noun
1
a
: a smooth glossy surface : luster
b
: good manners : refinement
2
: the action or process of polishing
3
: a substance prepared for use in polishing
shoe polish
nail polish

Polish

3 of 4 adjective
Pol·​ish ˈpō-lish How to pronounce Polish (audio)
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, the Poles, or Polish

Polish

4 of 4 noun
: the Slavic language of the Poles

More from Merriam-Webster on polish

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