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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Furbish

Furbish \Fur"bish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Furbished; p. pr. & vb. n. Furbishing.] [OE. forbischen, OF. forbir, furbir, fourbir, F. fourbir, fr. OHG. furban to clean. See -ish.] To rub or scour to brightness; to clean; to burnish; as, to furbish a sword or spear.
--Shak.

Furbish new the name of John a Gaunt.
--Shak.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
furbish

late 14c. (implied mid-13c. in surname Furbisher), from Old French forbiss-, present participle stem of forbir "to polish, burnish; mend, repair" (12c., Modern French fourbir), from a Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *furbjan "cause to have a (good) appearance" (compare Old High German furban "to polish"), from PIE *prep- "to appear," which is perhaps identical with *kwrep- "body, appearance" (see corporeal). Related: Furbished; furbishing. The Old English cognate of the Germanic verbs, feormian (with intrusive -m-) meant "clean, rub bright, polish."

Wiktionary
furbish

vb. 1 To polish or burnish. 2 To renovate or recondition.

WordNet
furbish

v. polish and make shiny; "buff the wooden floors"; "buff my shoes" [syn: buff, burnish, flush]

Usage examples of "furbish".

There was a chance that some observer might know George Furbish by sight.

Finding that he had arrived ahead of Furbish, The Shadow had quickly evolved a new procedure.

Had they learned, from some source, that Furbish did not intend to come to his apartment?

He was satisfied that either George Furbish or The Shadow would enter the twofold mesh.

He stopped to make telephone contact with his agents, to learn that there had still been no sign of George Furbish at the Royal Arms.

Crooks who had seen the false George Furbish would have recognized Henry Arnaud.

Similarly, the deaths of both would mean nothing to either Furbish or Lamport.

With no good plan to follow, the major had preferred not to choose a bad one during the twenty-four hours that would remain until George Furbish reached New York.

A battle on his part could, at most, cause sufficient commotion to bring the law to the Maribar Hotel, and thereby serve as an indirect warning to Furbish and Lamport.

He wondered, however, what sort of stratagem would make it possible for Furbish to come and go unmolested.

It will mean, however, that when Furbish has gone, Malfort will concentrate upon you.

Arnaud is the same guy who called himself Furbish up at the Royal Arms.

Whether Furbish arrives at the Royal Arms or not, he will eventually visit the Maribar.

Suppose Furbish comes there while Spark and his crew are not available?

If Furbish calls on Rowden, he will doubtless remain longer than a quarter hour.