What does varnish mean?
Varnish is a coating used on wood and other surfaces to protect them and give them a smooth, glossy finish. It may be clear, tinted, or coloured, and it can also be used as a verb: to varnish a cabinet is to coat it with varnish. In figurative use, varnish suggests adding a polished, attractive surface to something that may otherwise seem plain or flawed. The word came into English through French and ultimately relates to Latin words for tree resin. Although nail varnish is familiar in British English, nail polish is more usual in American English. Varnish is useful both as a practical protective finish and as a vivid metaphor for presentation. A well-chosen coat can make plain wood look refined, while a figuratively well-varnished account can seem polished and credible. The metaphor can also be dismissive when it implies that something has been made to conceal a weakness.
A clear, coloured, or tinted coating applied to wood or other surfaces to protect it and give it a glossy finish; also the act of applying such a coating, or a polished appearance.
"The varnish on the floor had begun to crack around the edges."
The plural varnishes can refer to different products, colours, or types of coating.
To apply varnish to a surface; figuratively, to embellish something or make it appear more polished, attractive, or impressive.
"They varnished the table before the exhibition."
Figurative uses often imply that something has been enhanced or made to appear better than it may really be.
The plural refers to different varnish products or to separate applications of varnish.
"The decorator tested several varnishes before choosing one."
Varnish is wood's answer to makeup: it can deepen colour, conceal imperfections, and transform rough boards into polished furniture.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does varnish come from?
English borrowed the word during the Middle English period from French vernis, a term for a resin or varnish. The French word was informed by medieval Latin vernicium, linked to Latin vernix, meaning resin or tree resin; the more distant origin of that Latin term is uncertain. The related French verb vernir and the Latin forms vernicium and vernix preserve the same connection with resin and protective coatings.
Related word forms
How varnish is actually used
In British English, nail varnish is a common term for the cosmetic coating applied to fingernails; nail polish is more usual in American English. Figurative uses can be approving, describing polish and sophistication, or mildly critical, suggesting that something impressive has been used to conceal flaws.
Easily confused with varnish
Varnish is a protective coating, whereas to vanish means to disappear suddenly from view.