Planishing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The technique employed to create a smooth finish on metal by applying pressure or impact methods is well noted in metal crafting
2. This metalworking method involves refining the surface texture of metals through various impacts or mechanical processes
3. A method used in metalworking, this process involves smoothing and polishing surfaces by applying repetitive blows or pressure to achieve a refined finish

Etymology: "Planishing" is the present participle of "planish," a metalworking verb meaning to hammer thin sheet metal smooth with light, overlapping blows. The verb comes from the Old French "planir," to make level or smooth, which descends from the Latin "planus," flat. That same Latin root gives English "plane" and "plain," so the metalworker's term shares its ancestry with the everyday idea of a flat, level surface. The "-ing" ending is the ordinary English suffix that turns a verb into a form describing an ongoing action, so "planishing" names the process of hammering a sheet until it lies flat and even. It is a plain, transparent formation, and the story lies entirely in the older verb it is built on.

Synonyms: smoothing, leveling, polishing, finishing, flattening

Antonyms: roughening, distorting, bending, wrinkling, damaging