verb
Polish
POH-lihsh
verb
1
To rub a surface until it is smooth and shiny.
"He polished his shoes before the interview."
"She spent an hour polishing the silverware."
2
To improve or refine something.
"The team polished their presentation the night before pitching."
noun
1
A substance used to make a surface shiny.
"She bought a new tin of shoe polish."
2
Refinement or elegance in appearance or performance.
"The final draft still needs a bit more polish."
How to Use Polish
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo make something shiny and smooth by rubbing, or to refine and improve it — also the shining substance itself.
Common mistake
Capitalized "Polish" (relating to Poland or its language) is unrelated in meaning, though spelled and pronounced differently ("POH-lish" vs "PAH-lish").
Easily confused with
Common pairings
nail polish
shoe polish
polish a draft
polish off
Word Forms
polished past tense, polishes plural, polishes singular
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Etymology
From Latin politus, "made smooth," the past participle of polire, "to polish."