Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: brunir 'to make brown, cause to shine', from brun 'brown'

burnish

 verb
     
bur‧nish [transitive] formal
1 to polish metal or another substance until it shines
2 to work hard in order to improve something:
He missed no opportunity to burnish his image.
—burnished adjective
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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