polish up

pol·ish up

P p

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [pol-ish uhp]
- /ˈpɒl ɪʃ ʌp/
- /ˈpɒlɪʃ ʌp/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [pol-ish uhp]
- /ˈpɒl ɪʃ ʌp/

Definitions of polish up words

verb with object polish up to make smooth and glossy, especially by rubbing or friction: to polish a brass doorknob. 1
verb with object polish up to render finished, refined, or elegant: His speech needs polishing. 1
verb without object polish up to become smooth and glossy through polishing: a flooring that polishes easily. 1
verb without object polish up Archaic. to become refined or elegant. 1
noun polish up a substance used to give smoothness or gloss: shoe polish. 1
noun polish up the act of polishing. 1

See all 14 definitions of polish up

Information block about the term

Origin of polish up

First appearance:

before 1250

One of the 11% oldest English words

1250-1300; Middle English polishen < Middle French poliss-, long stem of polir < Latin polīre to polish; see -ish2

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Polish up

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Polish up

polish up popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 94% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

polish up usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for polish up

verb polish up

bone up — to study intensively
brush up — If you brush up something or brush up on it, you practise it or improve your knowledge of it.
clean up — If you clean up a mess or clean up a place where there is a mess, you make things tidy and free of dirt again.
disciplined — having or exhibiting discipline; rigorous: paintings characterized by a disciplined technique.
hash over — a dish of diced or chopped meat and often vegetables, as of leftover corned beef or veal and potatoes, sautéed in a frying pan or of meat, potatoes, and carrots cooked together in gravy.

All 10 Synonyms of polish up