shellac

1 of 2

noun

shel·​lac shə-ˈlak 

1

: purified lac usually prepared in thin orange or yellow flakes by heating and filtering and often bleached white

2

: a preparation of lac dissolved usually in alcohol and used chiefly as a wood filler and finish

3

a

: a composition containing shellac formerly used for making phonograph records

b

: an old 78 rpm phonograph record

shellac

2 of 2

verb

shellacked; shellacking

transitive verb

1

: to coat or otherwise treat with shellac or a shellac varnish

2

: to defeat decisively

Synonyms

Verb

• wax [slang]
• cream
• bomb
• overcome
• whip
• paste
• bury
• skin
• trim
• dust
• master
• rout
• smoke [slang]
• blow away
• flatten
• throw
• smother
• top
• snow under
• upset

Examples of shellac in a Sentence

Verb

the local football team was shellacked 35-0 in their final outing for the season

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Meghan is known to wear her nails in a short manicure with a pale pink polish and added two shellac shades from CND. —Janine Henni, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025

Lacquer is a layer of shellac mixed with alcohol that's used to coat higher-end pieces of furniture. —Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2025

Verb

But the alternative scenario of this team packing it in, going through the motions and getting shellacked down the stretch would have been concerning. —Harman Dayal, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025

But, seriously – does anyone believe the Heat’s youth benefited from the shellacking Cleveland handed them? —Shane Young, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

shell entry 1 + lac

First Known Use

Noun

1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shellac

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback

Kids Definition

shellac

1 of 2 noun

shel·​lac shə-ˈlak 

1

: purified lac

2

: a preparation of lac dissolved in alcohol and used as a wood filler or finish

shellac

2 of 2 verb

shellacked; shellacking

: to coat or treat with shellac