different between burnish vs smooth

English

Etymology

From Middle English burnysshen, burnischen, a borrowing from Old French burnir, from its stem burniss-, variant of brunir (“to polish, make brown”), from Old French brun (“brown”). More at English brown.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?b??(?)n??/

Verb

burnish (third-person singular simple present burnishes, present participle burnishing, simple past and past participle burnished or (obsolete) burnisht)

1. (transitive) To make (something) smooth or shiny by rubbing; to polish or shine (something)
   • a. 1773, John Cunningham, Pastorals

     Now the village windows blaze, / Burnished by the setting sun.

2. (intransitive) To shine forth; to brighten; to become smooth and glossy, as from swelling or filling out; hence, to grow large.
   • 1675, John Dryden, Prologue to Circe by Charles Davenant

     A slender poet must have time to grow, / And spread and burnish as his brothers do.

   • My thoughts began to burnish, sprout, and swell.

3. (transitive, figuratively) To make (someone or something) appear positive and highly respected.

Synonyms

• (to make smooth and shiny by rubbing): wax, shine, polish, furbish, buff

Translations

Noun

burnish

1. Polish; lustre.

English

Alternative forms

• smeeth (dialectal)
• (verb): smoothe

Etymology

From Middle English smoothe, smothe, smethe, from Old English sm?þ and Old English sm?þe, both from Proto-Germanic *smanþaz, *smanþiz, of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots smuith (“smooth”), Low German smood and smödig (“smooth, malleable, ductile”), Dutch smeuïg (“smooth”) (from earlier smeudig).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /smu?ð/
• Rhymes: -u?ð

Adjective

smooth (comparative smoother, superlative smoothest)

1. Having a texture that lacks friction. Not rough.
   • 1695, John Dryden (translator), Observations on the Art of Painting by Charles Alphonse du Fresnoy

     The outlines must be smooth, […] imperceptible to the touch, and even, without eminence or cavities.

   • “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; and she looked it, always trim and trig and smooth of surface like a converted yacht cleared for action. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, […].
2. Without difficulty, problems, or unexpected consequences or incidents.
3. Bland; glib.

   • This smooth discourse and mild behavior oft / Conceal a traitor.
4. Flowing or uttered without check, obstruction, or hesitation; not harsh; fluent.
   • 1670, John Milton, The History of Britain

     the only smooth poet of those times}}

   • 1713, John Gay, The Fan

     When sage Minerva rose, / From her sweet lips smooth elocution flows.

5. (of a person) Suave; sophisticated.
6. (of an action) Natural; unconstrained.
7. (of a motion) Unbroken.
8. (chiefly of water) Placid, calm.
9. (of an edge) Lacking projections or indentations; not serrated.
10. (of food or drink) Not grainy; having an even texture.
11. (of a beverage) Having a pleasantly rounded flavor; neither rough nor astringent.
12. (mathematics, of a function) Having derivatives of all finite orders at all points within the function’s domain.
13. (mathematics, of a number) That factors completely into small prime numbers.
14. (linguistics, classical studies, of a vowel) Lacking marked aspiration.
15. (of muscles, medicine) Involuntary and non-striated.

Synonyms

• (having a texture lacking friction): even
• (without difficulty or problems): fluid

Antonyms

• rough
• uneven
• bumpy

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

smooth (comparative smoother, superlative smoothest)

1. Smoothly.

Noun

smooth (plural smooths)

1. Something that is smooth, or that goes smoothly and easily.

   • The smooth of his neck.

   • 1862, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Adventures of Philip

     I think you and I will take the ups and the downs , the roughs and the smooths of this daily existence and conversation
2. A smoothing action.
3. A domestic animal having a smooth coat.
4. A member of an anti-hippie fashion movement in 1970s Britain.
5. (statistics) The analysis obtained through a smoothing procedure.

Translations

Verb

smooth (third-person singular simple present smooths, present participle smoothing, simple past and past participle smoothed)

1. (transitive) To make smooth or even.

   Synonym: smoothen

2. (transitive) To reduce to a particular shape or form by pressure; to press, to flatten.

3. (transitive) To make straightforward or easy.
   • 2007, Beth Kohn, Lonely Planet Venezuela (page 379)

     Caracas can be a tough place but the tremendously good-natured caraqueños smoothed my passage every step of the way.

4. (transitive) To calm or palliate.

   to smooth a person's temper

5. (statistics, image processing, digital audio) To capture important patterns in the data, while leaving out noise.
6. (West Country) To stroke; especially to stroke an animal's fur.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• smoothing on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• shtoom