shellac

CIDE DICTIONARY

shellac, n. [Shell + lac a resinous substance; cf. D. shellak, G. schellack.].

•  Lac which has been reduced to a thin crust. See the Note under 2d Lac.  [1913 Webster]
•  A solution of shellac{1} in alcohol or other volatile solvent, used as a varnish.  [PJC]
•  A phonograph record, made of a material containing shellac; -- no longer manufactured.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

shellac, n. & v.
--n. lac resin melted into thin flakes and used for making varnish (cf. LAC(1)).
--v.tr. (shellacked, shellacking)
1 varnish with shellac.
2 US sl. defeat or thrash soundly.

Etymology

SHELL + LAC, transl. F laque en {eacute}cailles lac in thin plates

THESAURUS

shellac

apply paint, beat, bedaub, bedizen, begild, besmear, blank, brush on paint, bulldoze, calcimine, clobber, coat, color, complexion, cover, cream, dab, daub, deep-dye, defeat utterly, dip, distemper, double-dye, drub, dye, emblazon, enamel, engild, face, fast-dye, fresco, gild, glaze, gloss, grain, hue, illuminate, imbue, ingrain, japan, lacquer, lambaste, lay on color, lick, overbear, overwhelm, paint, parget, paste, pigment, prime, schmear, shade, shadow, shut out, skunk, slop on paint, smear, smother, snow under, stain, steamroller, stipple, thrash, tinct, tincture, tinge, tint, tone, trim, undercoat, varnish, wash, whelm, whitewash, whomp, whop