shellac
noun
- spirit varnish produced from the resin secreted by lac insects on trees in the forests of India and Thailand
verb
- to coat or varnish with shellac
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ʃəˈlæk/ / /ʃɛˈlæk/ / /ˈʃɛlæk/
noun
Etymology: From shell + lac, calque of French laque en écailles (literally “lac in scales/shells”).
- A processed secretion of the lac insect, Coccus lacca; used in polishes, varnishes etc.
“But, she says, a wartime ban on recordings using shellac and vinyl kept the Walker version from being released.”
“At the turn of the century, the ever-expanding electrical industry was running low on shellac, a resin secreted by the female lac bug which could be used as an insulating material.”
- A beating; a thrashing.
verb
Etymology: From shell + lac, calque of French laque en écailles (literally “lac in scales/shells”).
- To coat with shellac.
- To beat; to thrash.
- To inflict a heavy defeat upon.
“In 1964 Goldwater ran rambunctiously, flat-out against government. He got shellacked.”
“In another the Mets were shellacked, 9-1, with a stray ninth-inning home run by Strawberry after two outs, preventing a shutout.”