Varnish1. (n.) A viscid liquid, consisting of a solution of resinous matter in an oil or a volatile liquid, laid on work with a brush, or otherwise. When applied the varnish soon dries, either by evaporation or chemical action, and the resinous part forms thus a smooth, hard surface, with a beautiful gloss, capable of resisting, to a greater or less degree, the influences of air and moisture.
2. (n.) That which resembles varnish, either naturally or artificially; a glossy appearance.
3. (n.) An artificial covering to give a fair appearance to any act or conduct; outside show; gloss.
4. (n.) To lay varnish on; to cover with a liquid which produces, when dry, a hard, glossy surface; as, to varnish a table; to varnish a painting.
5. (n.) To cover or conceal with something that gives a fair appearance; to give a fair coloring to by words; to gloss over; to palliate; as, to varnish guilt.
Thesaurus Entries
acting, adorn, affectation, air brush, alibi, allow for, allowance, apology, appearance, apply paint, art paper, attitudinizing, becloud, bedaub, bedizen, befog, begild, belie, besmear, bias, blanket, blind, bluff, bluffing, brush, brush on paint, buff, burnish, calcimine, camera lucida, camera obscura, camouflage, canvas, chalk, charcoal, cheating, cloak, cloud, coat, coating, color, coloring, complexion, conceal, convolute, cover, cover story, cover up, cover-up, crayon, curtain, dab, daub, deception, decontamination, decorate, deep-dye, delusion, device, diminish, dip, disguise, dissemblance, dissemble, dissembling, dissimulation, distemper, distort, distract attention from, double-dye, drawing paper, drawing pencil, dress up, drier, dye, ease, easel, eclipse, elaborate, embellish, emblazon, embroider, enamel, engild, enrich, ensconce, enshroud, envelop, excuse, extenuate, extenuating circumstances, extenuation, extenuative, facade, face, facing, fakery, faking, false air, false front, false show, falsify, falsity, fast-dye, feigning, feint, festoon, film, finish, fixative, flourish, four-flushing, fraud, fresco, front, fudge, fur, furbish, garble, gild, gilding, gilt, glance, glaze, gloss, gloss over, grain, ground, guise, handle, hide, hue, humbug, humbuggery, ignore, illuminate, imbue, imposture, ingrain, involve, japan, keep under cover, lacquer, lame excuse, lay figure, lay on color, lessen, load with ornament, locus standi, luster, make allowance for, mask, masquerade, maulstick, medium, meretriciousness, mince, miscite, miscolor, misconstrue, misdirect, misinterpret, misquote, misrender, misreport, misrepresent, misstate, misuse, mitigate, mitigation, obfuscate, obscure, occult, ornament, ostensible motive, ostentation, outward show, overcharge, overlay, overload, overstate, paint, paintbrush, palette, palette knife, palliate, palliation, palliative, parget, pastel, pellicle, pencil, pervert, pigment, pigments, playacting, polish, poor excuse, pose, posing, posture, pretense, pretension, pretext, prime, protestation, public motive, put-off, qualification, refuge, representation, revetment, rub, scale, scour, scratchboard, screen, scum, seeming, semblance, shade, shadow, sham, shellac, shine, show, shroud, siccative, simulacrum, simulation, sketchbook, sketchpad, skin, slant, sleek, slick, slick down, slop on paint, slur over, smear, smoke screen, soft-pedal, soften, softening, spatula, speciousness, spray gun, stain, stalking-horse, stipple, strain, stratagem, stump, subterfuge