Burnish \Bur"nish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Burnished; p. pr. &
vb. n. Burnishing.]
[OE. burnischen, burnissen, burnen, OF.
burnir, brunir, to make brown, polish, F. brunir, fr. F. brun
brown, fr. OHG. br?n; cf. MHG. briunen to make brown, polish.
See Brown, a.]
To cause to shine; to make smooth and bright; to polish;
specifically, to polish by rubbing with something hard and
smooth; as, to burnish brass or paper.
The frame of burnished steel, that east a glare From
far, and seemed to thaw the freezing air. --Dryden.
Now the village windows blaze, Burnished by the setting
sun. --Cunningham.
Burnishing machine, a machine for smoothing and polishing
by compression, as in making paper collars.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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