polish — to make something smooth and shiny by rubbing
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to make something smooth and shiny by rubbing
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈpɑːlɪʃ/
Example Sentences
- My mom polished the family car until it looked like a mirror.
- He polished off three pizzas in ten minutes - what a champion!
- I need to polish my Korean before visiting Seoul.
polish
VERB[/ˈpɑːlɪʃ/]
to make something smooth and shiny by rubbing
Image coming soon
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Latin 'polire', meaning 'to make smooth' or 'to polish'. It entered English through Medieval French, evolving from its Latin root describing the action of smoothing or refining a surface.
Breakdown
polire (Latin: to make smooth) + -ish (English verb suffix) = polish. The Latin root 'polire' underwent regular phonetic changes as it passed through French and into Middle English.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My mom polished the family car until it looked like a mirror.”
“He polished off three pizzas in ten minutes - what a champion!”
“I need to polish my Korean before visiting Seoul.”
“She bought expensive nail polish but forgot she bites her nails.”
📚Related Words
Want to master 27,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.