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
shellacked; shellacking
1
: to coat or otherwise treat with shellac or a shellac varnish
2
: to defeat decisively
Synonyms of shellac
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
Greta Cross, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
But the biggest lift was the restoration of the wood throughout the house — a job that started by stripping every inch, then adding coats of shellac.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 7 Oct. 2025
Joseph Person, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
While Cincinnati’s visit to Detroit was one of the more intriguing matchups on the fall calendar, the loss of Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ subsequent 48-10 shellacking under the horns of the Vikings have made the team a liability of sorts.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellac
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Noun
Confectioner's glaze, also known as shellac, can be made from lac-resin — a waxy, waterproof coating that the female lac bug produces for protection.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
But the biggest lift was the restoration of the wood throughout the house — a job that started by stripping every inch, then adding coats of shellac.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
For the record, riding the Rico Train is the right move for a team that remains in the playoff hunt despite Sunday’s 40-9 shellacking against the Buffalo Bills and a challenging second-half schedule.
—Joseph Person, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
While Cincinnati’s visit to Detroit was one of the more intriguing matchups on the fall calendar, the loss of Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ subsequent 48-10 shellacking under the horns of the Vikings have made the team a liability of sorts.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellac
Cite this Entry
“Shellac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shellac. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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