Meaning & use
Shellac
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A resin secreted by the lac insect, dissolved in alcohol and used as a wood finish, sealant, or varnish; also, informally, a decisive defeat.
See it in a sentence
The carpenter applied several coats of shellac to give the table a glossy finish.
Early phonograph records were pressed from a brittle compound made largely of shellac.
A note on using this word
Informally, "to shellac" someone means to beat them decisively, a slang sense that emerged in early-20th-century American English, likely from the idea of thoroughly "coating" an opponent.
Words with a similar meaning
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Another way to use it
2. verb
To defeat someone decisively or thoroughly.
The home team shellacked their rivals 42 to 3.
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