shellac

play

noun shel·lac \ shə-ˈlak \

Definition of shellac

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

See shellac defined for English-language learners

See shellac defined for kids

Recent Examples of shellac from the Web

Nguyen said on Facebook that Stefani received a manicure and pedicure, choosing a neon orange shellac.

— ajc homepage, ajc, "Gwen Stefani gets mani-pedi at Oklahoma mall nail salon," 15 July 2017
In the official paperwork, the grants looked like the kind of research efforts the government might be funding; altruism was slapped on like a coat of shellac.

— jim dwyer, New York Times, "For Sheldon Silver, Three Judges Overturn 12 Jurors," 13 July 2017
There was little demand for an improvement during the Depression, and certainly not during the war, when plastics (and presumably shellacs) went toward the war effort.

— michael tomasky, The Atlantic, "How the Hippies Hijacked Vinyl," 31 May 2017
It was made of shellac, which came from a bug resin.

— michael tomasky, The Atlantic, "How the Hippies Hijacked Vinyl," 31 May 2017
In some cases, virtually no remaining copies of the original recordings existed because the shellac had been melted down to help paint tanks in World War II.

— melinda newman, Billboard, "PBS Series 'American Epic' Explores Our Musical Roots, With Help From Jack White & T Bone Burnett," 15 May 2017
More than one toddler pulling a toy train across the scratch-free, shellac-finished, quarter-sawn oak floors?

— the washington post, The Denver Post, "How one mom learned to live in a Frank Lloyd Wright house with a toddler," 12 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shellac.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of shellac

¹shell + lac

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1704

See Words from the same year

shellac

verb

Definition of shellac

shellacked; shellacking

transitive verb

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

2 :to defeat decisively

See shellac defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of shellac from the Web

LHP Amir Garrett got shellacked, giving up nine runs (seven earned) in 4 1/3 innings.

— zach buchanan, Cincinnati.com, "BAR: Where does Joey Votto fit in the MVP discussion?," 25 Aug. 2017
However, if your lips are on the dry side, be sure to use an exfoliating scrub before applying, otherwise you'll be tempted to bite the dead skin off your lips once they're fully shellacked (speaking from personal experience).

— tina ferraro, Teen Vogue, "New Maybelline New York SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks Last All Day," 26 July 2017
Jimenez was coming off his worst start of the year, battered for a season-high nine runs in a 2 1/3-inning shellacking at the Tampa Bay Rays.

— eduardo a. encina, baltimoresun.com, "Ubaldo Jimenez pitches eight scoreless innings in Orioles' 2-0 win over Blue Jays," 29 June 2017
In 2013, the Democrats shellacked the Republicans 22-0, with Richmond allowing only three hits and notching three hits of his own.

— drew broach, NOLA.com, "Steve Scalise has been a Republican mainstay on the baseball diamond," 14 June 2017
Kalil watched at home in Charlotte as Newton was benched for a dress code violation and the Panthers were shellacked 40-7 in a prime-time embarrassment.

— joseph person, charlotteobserver, "Ryan Kalil, Luke Kuechly have natural quality Panthers can least afford to lose," 26 May 2017
The rising temperatures and dry days come on the heels of a springtime snow shellacking on Mount Hood.

— jim ryan, OregonLive.com, "Break out the sunblock, stay out of the rivers: Sunshine returns to Portland," 18 May 2017
Just be sure it's slightly toasted and shellacked with a creamy mayonnaise.

— joseph hernandez, chicagotribune.com, "How to build a better BLT -- and add lobster or arugula pesto," 9 May 2017
Keller, after shellacking Wolfforth Frenship in a two-game sweep, will now face the Arlington Martin Lady Warriors.

— randy sachs, star-telegram, "Is Haslet Eaton the surprise softball team of the year?," 8 May 2017

First Known Use of shellac

1876

shellac Synonyms

Synonyms

annihilate, blow away, bomb, bury, clobber, cream, drub, dust, flatten, paste, rout, whip, skin, skunk, smoke [slang], smother, snow under, thrash, trim, tromp, trounce, wallop, wax [slang], whomp, whop (or whap), whup

Related Words

sweep, upset; beat, best, conquer, dispatch, hurdle, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), subdue, surmount, take, throw, triumph (over), win (against), worst; crush, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, overwhelm, subjugate, upend, vanquish; ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend; edge (out), nose out, pip [British]; cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed; break, destroy, do in, finish, sink, slaughter

SHELLAC Defined for English Language Learners

shellac

play

noun

Definition of shellac for English Language Learners

: a clear liquid that dries into a hard coating and that is put on a surface to protect it

shellac

verb

Definition of shellac for English Language Learners

: to coat (something) with shellac
: to defeat (a person or team) easily and completely

SHELLAC Defined for Kids

shellac

play

noun shel·lac \ shə-ˈlak \

Definition of shellac for Students

:a varnish made from a material that is given off by an insect and that is dissolved usually in alcohol

shellac

verb

Definition of shellac for Students

shellacked; shellacking

:to coat with shellac

Learn More about shellac

See words that rhyme with shellac Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for shellac Spanish Central: Translation of shellac Nglish: Translation of shellac for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shellac

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shellac

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shellac

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