Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Burnish \Bur"nish\, v. i.
   To shine forth; to brighten; to become smooth and glossy, as
   from swelling or filling out; hence, to grow large.

         A slender poet must have time to grow, And spread and
         burnish as his brothers do.              --Dryden.

         My thoughts began to burnish, sprout, and swell.
                                                  --Herbert.

Burnish \Bur"nish\, n.
   The effect of burnishing; gloss; brightness; luster.
   --Crashaw.

Burnish \Bur"nish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Burnished}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Burnishing}.] [OE. burnischen, burnissen, burnen, OF.
   burnir, brunir, to make brown, polish, F. brunir, fr. F. brun
   brown, fr. OHG. br?n; cf. MHG. briunen to make brown, polish.
   See {Brown}, a.]
   To cause to shine; to make smooth and bright; to polish;
   specifically, to polish by rubbing with something hard and
   smooth; as, to burnish brass or paper.

         The frame of burnished steel, that east a glare From
         far, and seemed to thaw the freezing air. --Dryden.

         Now the village windows blaze, Burnished by the setting
         sun.                                     --Cunningham.

   {Burnishing machine}, a machine for smoothing and polishing
      by compression, as in making paper collars.

Source : WordNet®

burnish
     n : the property of being smooth and shiny [syn: {polish}, {gloss},
          {glossiness}]
     v : polish and make shiny; "buff the wooden floors"; "buff my
         shoes" [syn: {buff}, {furbish}, {flush}]