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Shellac

//ʃəˈlæk// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A processed secretion of the lac insect, Coccus lacca; used in polishes, varnishes etc. countable, uncountable

    "But, she says, a wartime ban on recordings using shellac and vinyl kept the Walker version from being released."

  2. 2
    a thin varnish made by dissolving lac in ethanol; used to finish wood wordnet
  3. 3
    A beating; a thrashing. US, countable, informal, uncountable
  4. 4
    lac purified by heating and filtering; usually in thin orange or yellow flakes but sometimes bleached white wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To coat with shellac. transitive
  2. 2
    cover with shellac wordnet
  3. 3
    To beat; to thrash. US, informal, transitive
  4. 4
    To inflict a heavy defeat upon. US, informal, transitive

    "In 1964 Goldwater ran rambunctiously, flat-out against government. He got shellacked."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From shell + lac, calque of French laque en écailles (literally “lac in scales/shells”).

Etymology 2

From shell + lac, calque of French laque en écailles (literally “lac in scales/shells”).

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