1
: purified lac usually prepared in thin orange or yellow flakes by heating and filtering and often bleached white
2
: a preparation of lac dissolved usually in alcohol and used chiefly as a wood filler and finish
3
a
: a composition containing shellac formerly used for making phonograph records
b
: an old 78 rpm phonograph record
shellacked; shellacking
1
: to coat or otherwise treat with shellac or a shellac varnish
2
: to defeat decisively
Synonyms
Examples of shellac in a Sentence
Verb
the local football team was shellacked 35-0 in their final outing for the season
Recent Examples on the Web
Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
Makeup, initially applied judiciously, becomes a heavily layered shellac, an attempt to gain confidence through cosmetics.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
The Rams coach rested his stars in the season finale, dropping a spot in the standings but shellacking the Vikings regardless.
—Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for shellac 
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Noun
The 12-inch vinyl slates – as opposed to its predecessor, the 78-rpm made from shellac – played at a faster speed, 33 1/3 revolutions per minutes compared to 78, and could fit about 25 minutes of music on each side.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
Makeup, initially applied judiciously, becomes a heavily layered shellac, an attempt to gain confidence through cosmetics.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
Then again, the Lakers just shellacked the defending champion Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
The Rams coach rested his stars in the season finale, dropping a spot in the standings but shellacking the Vikings regardless.
—Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for shellac
Dictionary Entries Near shellac
Cite this Entry
“Shellac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shellac. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shellac
1 of 2 noun
shel·lac
shə-ˈlak 
1
: purified lac
2
: a preparation of lac dissolved in alcohol and used as a wood filler or finish
shellac
2 of 2 verb
shellacked; shellacking
: to coat or treat with shellac
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