Part 382

3. One of the poles or planks used in upholding the side earth in excavating a tunnel, ditch, etc.

Pol"ish (?), a. [From Pole a Polander.] Of or pertaining to Poland or its inhabitants. - - n. The language of the Poles.

Pol"ish (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Polished (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Polishing.] [F. polir, L. polire. Cf. Polite, -ish] 1. To make smooth and glossy, usually by friction; to burnish; to overspread with luster; as, to polish glass, marble, metals, etc.

2. Hence, to refine; to wear off the rudeness, coarseness, or rusticity of; to make elegant and polite; as, to polish life or manners. Milton.

To polish off, to finish completely, as an adversary. [Slang] W. H. Russell.

Pol"ish, v. i. To become smooth, as from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy surface; as, steel polishes well. Bacon.

Pol"ish, n. 1. A smooth, glossy surface, usually produced by friction; a gloss or luster.

Another prism of clearer glass and better polish.

Sir I. Newton.

2. Anything used to produce a gloss.

3. Fig.: Refinement; elegance of manners.

This Roman polish and this smooth behavior.

Addison.

Pol"ish*a*ble (?), a. Capable of being polished.

Pol"ished (?), a. Made smooth and glossy, as by friction; hence, highly finished; refined; polite; as, polished plate; polished manners; polished verse.

Pol"ished*ness, n. The quality of being polished.

Pol"ish*er (?), n. One who, or that which, polishes; also, that which is used in polishing. Addison.

Pol"ish*ing, a. & n. from Polish.

Polishing iron, an iron burnisher; esp., a small smoothing iron used in laundries. -- Polishing slate. (a) A gray or yellow slate, found in Bohemia and Auvergne, and used for polishing glass, marble, and metals. (b) A kind of hone or whetstone; hone slate. -- Polishing snake, a tool used in cleaning lithographic stones. -- Polishing wheel, a wheel or disk coated with, or composed of, abrading material, for polishing a surface.

Pol"ish*ment (?), n. The act of polishing, or the state of being polished. [R.]

Po*lite" (?), a. [Compar. Politer (?); superl. Politest.] [L. politus, p. p. of polire to polish: cf. F. poli. See Polish, v.] 1. Smooth; polished. [Obs.]

Rays of light falling on a polite surface.

Sir I. Newton.

2. Smooth and refined in behavior or manners; well bred; courteous; complaisant; obliging; civil.

He marries, bows at court, and grows polite.

Pope.

3. Characterized by refinement, or a high degree of finish; as, polite literature. Macaulay.

Syn. -- Polished; refined; well bred; courteous; affable; urbane; civil; courtly; elegant; genteel.