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illustration Burnish

Burnish

[BER-nish]

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Old French, early 14th century

1.

Enhance or perfect (something such as a reputation or a skill).

2.

Polish (something, especially metal) by rubbing.

Examples of Burnish in a sentence

"Ricardo knew he would have to burnish his research skills to shine in his job hunt."

"Betty liked to burnish her collection of silver every month."

About Burnish

This word comes from Middle English by way of the Old French “burniss-,” a lengthened stem of “burnir” that means to “make brown.”

Did you Know?

Burnish can also be a noun that means "the shine on a highly polished surface."

illustration Burnish

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