Definitions
01protective coating
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a clear liquid painted onto wood or other surfaces to protect them and make them look shiny.
n. a clear or translucent liquid coating that dries to form a hard, protective, and typically glossy finish on surfaces like wood.
“He applied a second coat of varnish to the wooden table to protect it from water.”
“The restorer carefully stripped the yellowed varnish from the antique cabinet before applying a modern, UV-resistant finish.”
02fake appearance
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Literary
n. a way of behaving or speaking that makes something seem better or more polite than it really is.
n. a deceptively attractive or showy appearance that masks the true nature of something.
“Behind his varnish of politeness, he was actually quite a rude person.”
“The politician's sophisticated varnish began to crack under the pressure of the journalist's relentless questioning about the scandal.”
03to apply a coating
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to cover a surface with varnish to make it shiny and protected.
v. to apply a resinous coating to a surface for protection or aesthetic enhancement.
“We need to varnish the deck before the rainy season starts.”
“The carpenter spent the afternoon varnishing the hand-carved banisters to highlight the natural grain of the oak.”
04to hide a fault
C2 · Proficiency Literary · Formal
v. to try to make something bad seem better than it is by hiding the truth.
v. to gloss over a defect or to make something superficially attractive in a deceptive manner.
“The report tried to varnish the truth about the company's financial problems.”
“The biographer was criticized for attempting to varnish the subject's well-known history of cruelty with stories of his occasional charity.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the substance in general; countable when referring to specific types or individual coats.
Etymology
From Middle English vernisch, vernish, from Old French vernis, from Medieval Latin vernix, veronix, from Byzantine Greek Βερενίκη (Bereníkē, “Berenice”), a town in Cyrenaica, now called Benghazi.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0