Lacquerer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual skilled in the application of a smooth, glossy finish to enhance the visual and protective qualities of surfaces, particularly in furniture or artwork
2. A professional who specializes in coating materials with a glossy substance to elevate both durability and aesthetic qualities of various items
3. A person who applies a shiny protective coating to surfaces in order to improve both their appearance and resistance to damage, commonly used in various crafts

Etymology: "Lacquerer" is a plain formation: the noun "lacquer" with the agent suffix "-er," meaning one who does a thing, so a lacquerer is a person who applies lacquer. The suffix is the same one that produces "baker" from "bake" or "driver" from "drive," and it is attached directly to the finished noun without any change in sound or spelling beyond the familiar final "-er." The more interesting history lies in the base word. "Lacquer" entered English from French "lacre," meaning sealing wax, which in turn traces back through Portuguese and Persian to the Sanskrit word "lākshā," a resin secreted by lac insects. In other words, the coating a lacquerer applies began as a resin harvested from insects, and the word's earliest sense concerned sealing letters rather than glossy furniture.