All 4 Uses of
burnish
in
Killing Kennedy
- His lack of coat, top hat, scarf, or gloves is an intentional ploy to burnish his athletic image.†
p. 8.6 *burnish = polish and make shiny; or to improve something
- JFK has long been aware that revelations about his philandering would ruin not only that carefully burnished image of him as a family man but also his political future.†
p. 173.1burnished = polished and made shiny; or improved something
- A movie about Kennedy's old boat, PT-109, is a popular summer hit, further burnishing the president's heroic image.†
p. 198.1burnishing = polishing and making shiny; or improving something
- It has been argued that Camelot was a myth concocted by Jackie Kennedy to burnish her husband's legacy.†
p. 301.9burnish = polish and make shiny; or to improve something
Definitions:
-
(1)
(burnish) polish and make shiny -- especially metal
or more generally: to improve something -- especially the impression that something makes -
(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.