shellack

/ʃəˈlæk/
noun
  1. A type of varnish made from lac resin, used to coat wood and other surfaces.
    • He applied a coat of shellack to the violin to protect its surface.
    • Old records were sometimes coated with shellack to make them durable.
    • The furniture was finished with a clear shellack that highlighted the grain.
verb
  1. To defeat decisively or beat badly in a competition or conflict.
    • Our debate team got shellacked in the final round by a much more experienced group.
    • The home team shellacked their rivals 10–1 in the championship game.
    • The incumbent mayor shellacked her opponent in the election, winning by a landslide.
  2. To criticize or scold harshly.
    • My boss shellacked me in the meeting for missing the deadline.
    • The coach shellacked the players for their lack of effort during practice.
    • The reviewer shellacked the movie, calling it the worst of the year.
  3. To coat or cover with shellac (a type of varnish).
    • He shellacked the wooden table to give it a glossy finish.
    • The craftsman shellacked the antique chair to protect the wood.
    • After sanding, she shellacked the bookshelf to make it shine.
Synonyms
What does "shellack" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean