lacquer

/ˈlækər/

/ˈlækə/

Other forms: lacquered; lacquers; lacquering

Lacquer is a clear liquid that is painted on a surface and dries hard and shiny. Lacquer can be used to protect wood.

Wooden furniture or art objects made from wood are sometimes coated with lacquer. The lacquer makes the wood glossy and protects it from scratches and nicks. In Eastern Asia, there is a tradition of making decorative objects called "lacquerware," boxes, buttons, and other items that are made of wood and coated in lacquer. Lacquer comes from a now-obsolete French word, lacre, a type of sealing wax, and is ultimately rooted in the Sanskrit laksha, "red dye."

Definitions of lacquer

1. noun

   a black resinous substance obtained from certain trees and used as a natural varnish
   type of:

   gum

   any of various substances (soluble in water) that exude from certain plants; they are gelatinous when moist but harden on drying
2. noun

   a hard glossy coating
   types:

   japan

   lacquer with a durable glossy black finish, originally from the orient

   type of:

   coat, coating

   a thin layer covering something
3. verb

   coat with lacquer
   “A lacquered box from China”

   types:

   japan

   coat with a lacquer, as done in Japan

   type of:

   adorn, beautify, decorate, embellish, grace, ornament

   make more attractive by adding ornament, color, etc.