Varnishes

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A liquid formulation that dries to form a glossy protective layer on materials while enhancing their visual appeal and safeguarding against environmental damage
2. Coatings used to create a shiny finish on diverse surfaces, offering both aesthetic enhancement and protection from wear and tear
3. A clear or colored liquid applied to surfaces that dries to form a hard, shiny layer protecting and decorating the material ; to apply a glossy protective layer to an object to enhance its look and durability

Etymology: "Varnishes" is simply the third-person form of the verb "varnish" and the plural of the noun, so its history is that of the base word. That base word traces back to the Greek city of Berenice in Cyrenaica, on the North African coast, which is today Benghazi in Libya. Medieval Greek speakers called the resin-based substance used there by a name derived from that city, and the term passed into Medieval Latin as "vernix" or "veronix." From Medieval Latin it moved into Old French as "vernis," and English borrowed it in Middle English as "vernisch" or "vernish." The sense has stayed close to its starting point: a glossy, protective film applied to a surface, originally made from natural resins dissolved in a solvent.

Synonyms: lacquers, coatings, finishes, glosses, sealers