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Definition of "furbish" [fur•bish]

  • To brighten by cleaning or rubbing; polish. (verb-transitive)
  • To restore to attractive or serviceable condition; renovate. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "furbish" in a sentence
  • "As we exchange these few but amiable remarks about country houses, I furbish him up and make him concrete."
  • "Many were outraged that the firms hired to furbish the homes of the fashionable had dared to breach the bedroom, and proposed to abolish the sacramental double bed and replace it with the new “twin beds” which manufacturers were beginning to introduce."
  • "Alderman Daley claims Grossinger Auto needed $8.5 million in public subsidies to help it re-furbish a warehouse for its new sales and service headquarters."