polish

Noun (1)

polish (countable and uncountable, plural polishes)

1. A substance used to polish.
   • A good silver polish will remove tarnish easily.

   Synonyms:

   wax

2. Cleanliness; smoothness, shininess.
   • The floor was waxed to a high polish.

   Synonyms:

   finish, sheen, shine, shininess, smoothness

3. Refinement; cleanliness in performance or presentation.
   • The lecturer showed a lot of polish at his last talk.

   Synonyms:

   class, elegance, panache, refinement, style

Verb

polish (third-person singular simple present polishes, present participle polishing, simple past and past participle polished)

1. (transitive) To shine; to make a surface very smooth or shiny by rubbing, cleaning, or grinding.
   • He polished up the chrome until it gleamed.

   Synonyms:

   wax, shine, buff, furbish, burnish, smooth, bone

2. (transitive) To refine; remove imperfections from.
   • The band has polished its performance since the last concert.
   • Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.1699, William Temple, Heads designed for an essay on conversations
3. (transitive) To apply shoe polish to shoes.
4. (intransitive) To become smooth, as from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy surface.
   • Steel polishes well.
   • The other [gold], whether it will polish so well Wherein for the latter [brass] it is probable it willa. 1626, Francis Bacon, Inquisitions touching the compounding of metals
5. (transitive) To refine; to wear off the rudeness, coarseness, or rusticity of; to make elegant and polite.
   • Arts that polish Life.1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished...
   • Educated at private schools and polished at Cambridge1971, Herb Spiers, “Maurice (review)”, in Body Politic, number 1, page 12

Adjective capitalized: Polish

UK/ˈpəʊlɪʃ/US/ˈpoʊlɪʃ/

Polish (not comparable)

1. Of, from or native to Poland, or relating to the Polish language.
   • Vinokur pulled the trigger a second and third time. "You're lying, you Polish cunt!" he screamed.2007, Elazar Barkan, Elizabeth A. Cole, Kai Struve, Shared History, Divided Memory, page 287
   • As we mentioned the only chemical used in Polish meats or sausages was potassium nitrate even though the list of food additives allowed in Europe was long and impressive.2009, Stanley Marianski, Adam Marianski, Miroslaw Gebarowski, Polish Sausages: Authentic Recipes and Instructions, page 13

   Synonyms:

   Polandish, Polono-

Noun (2) capitalized: Polish

UK/ˈpəʊlɪʃ/US/ˈpoʊlɪʃ/

Polish (uncountable)

1. The language spoken in Poland.
   • The big advantage of learning Russian is that, once you’re proficient, you can understand other Slav languages such as Czech, Polish or Bulgarian.2021 April 25, John Malathronas, “Which languages are easiest – and most difficult – for native English speakers to learn?”, in CNN, archived from the original on 22 Mar 2022
2. A breed of chickens with a large crest of feathers.