varnish

Etymology

From Middle English vernisch, vernish, from Old French vernis, from Medieval Latin vernix, veronix, from Byzantine Greek Βερενίκη (Bereníkē, “Berenice”), a town in Cyrenaica, now called Benghazi.

noun

1. A type of paint with a solvent that evaporates to leave a hard, transparent, glossy film.
2. Anything resembling such a paint; glossy appearance.
3. (by extension) A deceptively showy appearance.
4. (rail transport, US, informal, dated) a passenger train, probably derived from the varnished passenger cars used at one time.
   Every transcontinental but two settled on the simple articulated for freight service, and all of them coupled their varnish to the 4-8-4. 1959, David P. Morgan, editor, Steam's Finest Hour, Kalmbach Publishing Co.

verb

1. (intransitive) To apply varnish.
2. (transitive) To cover up with varnish.
3. (transitive) To make something superficially or deceptively attractive
   varnish the report
4. (transitive) To gloss over a defect.
   … Go love thy infant; love thy wood-chopper: be good-natured and modest: have that grace; and never varnish your hard, uncharitable ambition with this incredible tenderness for black folk a thousand miles off. Thy love afar is spite at home. 1841, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance”, in Essays: First Series