All 3 Uses of
burnish
in
The Aeneid
- Then wakeful Palinurus rose, to spy The face of heav'n, and the nocturnal sky; And listen'd ev'ry breath of air to try; Observes the stars, and notes their sliding course, The Pleiads, Hyads, and their wat'ry force; And both the Bears is careful to behold, And bright Orion, arm'd with burnish'd gold.†
Book 3burnish'd = polished and made shiny; or improved something
- Some at their backs their gilded quivers bore; Their chains of burnish'd gold hung down before.†
Book 5 *
- Nor did his eyes less longingly behold The girdle-belt, with nails of burnish'd gold.†
Book 9
Definitions:
-
(1)
(burnish) to polish, especially to make metal shiny; or more generally, to improve or enhance something’s appearance or reputation
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
As a noun, something that is burnished is something that was rubbed to make it shiny.