Burnishment

/ˈbɜːrnɪʃmənt/ noun

Definition

The act or process of polishing something to a bright sheen, or the result of this polishing; luster or shine.

Etymology

From burnish (from Old French burnir, to polish) + -ment (suffix creating nouns from verbs), referring to the action of making something bright.

Kelly Says

Burnishing with stones or animal bones was how ancient people created shine without chemicals—archaeologists find burnishing marks that show care and pride in objects 10,000 years old.

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