shellac

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun lac purified by heating and filtering; usually in thin orange or yellow flakes but sometimes bleached white
noun a thin varnish made by dissolving lac in ethanol; used to finish wood
verb cover with shellac

From shell + lac, calque of French laque en écailles (literally “lac in scales/shells”).

One of these is the scale bug that supplies shellac, and all that comes from it to our markets. — The Insect Folk, Morley, Margaret Warner
If you use spruce paddles keep them smooth by trimming away all roughness and keep them well shellacked, else they may become water-soaked. — On the Trail: An Outdoor Book for Girls, Lina Beard
THE CONDENSER.--To make a condenser, prepare two pine boards like A, say, eight by ten inches and a half inch thick, and shellac thoroughly on all sides. — Electricity for Boys, James Slough Zerbe

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