Overglazed

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A layer of glossy finish applied to ceramics increases their visual appeal and durability while enhancing the overall luster and resilience of the item
2. Having a shiny coating applied on the surface to protect and beautify, especially on ceramics or pottery
3. Featuring a smooth, glassy finish added over a base layer to enhance appearance and toughness

Etymology: Ceramics makes "overglaze" a useful term: it names a decorative layer applied on top of a glaze that has already been fired, so the piece is coated twice. The word is built simply from "over-", meaning "upon" or "above", and "glaze", a glassy coating fused onto pottery to seal and colour it. "Over-" descends from Old English "ofer", a word that has meant "above" since the earliest English, so the prefix is as old as the language itself. Here "overglazed" is the past participle of "overglaze", so it describes a piece that has received this second layer. The participle is simply the verb's past form used as an adjective, and the word needs no further history beyond the two parts above.

Synonyms: glossy, shiny, luminous, polished, varnished

Antonyms: dull, matte, rough, blurry, faded