Words / B2

POL-ish/ˈpɒlɪʃ/

To polish is to make something smooth and shiny, or to improve a piece of work; as a noun, the substance or the shine: shoe polish; polish a draft. Shine is everyday; refine is more formal for writing. Polish the conclusion; do not add a new argument. Mix-up: Polish (capital P) means from Poland; polite (already in the dictionary). Do not write polish for “translate into Polish”.

Meaning

To make something smooth and shiny; also a substance for that, or to improve a piece of work.

Examples

• “Polish the conclusion; do not add a new argument in the last line.”
• “Polish the brass on the memorial, which is the shine sense in the source.”

Good to know

polish + object; a polish; shoe polish. Trap: Polish (nationality) / polite. Exams, DT, and news. Make shiny, or improve a draft — not the language.

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