shellacking

shel·lac

also shel·lack (shə-lăk′)

n.

1. A purified lac in the form of thin yellow or orange flakes, often bleached white and widely used in varnishes, paints, inks, sealants, and formerly in phonograph records.

2. A thin varnish made by dissolving this substance in denatured alcohol, used to finish wood.

3. An old phonograph record containing this substance, typically played at 78 rpm.

tr.v. shel·lacked, shel·lack·ing, shel·lacs also shel·lacked or shel·lack·ing or shel·lacks

1. To coat or finish with shellac.

2. Slang

a. To strike repeatedly and severely; batter.

b. To defeat decisively.

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[shel(l) + lac (translation of French laque en écailles, lac in thin plates).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

shellacking

(ʃəˈlækɪŋ; ˈʃɛlækɪŋ)

n

slang chiefly US and Canadian a complete defeat; a sound beating: anyone who gives a shellacking to their bigger neighbours.

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

shel•lack•ing

(ʃəˈlæk ɪŋ)

n. Slang.

1. an utter defeat.

2. a sound thrashing.

[1880–85]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.