noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ʃəˈlæk/
/ʃɛˈlæk/
/ˈʃɛlæk/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -æk
CMU ARPABET:SH EH1 L AE2 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A processed secretion of the lac insect, Coccus lacca; used in polishes, varnishes etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A beating; a thrashing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, countable, informal, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To coat with shellac.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To beat; to thrash.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, informal, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To inflict a heavy defeat upon.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, informal, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
a thin varnish made by dissolving lac in ethanol; used to finish wood
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: shellac varnish
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: varnish
Narrower terms: French polish, French polish shellac
7
noun
Meaning 7
lac purified by heating and filtering; usually in thin orange or yellow flakes but sometimes bleached white
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: lac
8
verb
Meaning 8
cover with shellac
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
She wanted to shellac the desk to protect it from water spots
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: shellack
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: varnish, seal
History
Etymology
From shell + lac, calque of French laque en écailles (literally “lac in scales/shells”).
Across languages
Translations
42 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
դոճախեժ
(dočaxež)
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Armenian:
շելլակ
(šellak)
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Bulgarian:
шеллак
(šellak)
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Catalan:
goma laca
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Chinese Mandarin:
虫胶
(chóng jiāo)
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Chinese Mandarin:
紫膠 /紫胶
(zǐjiāo)
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Dutch:
schellak
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Esperanto:
ŝelako
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Finnish:
sellakka
— processed secretion of the lac insect
French:
gomme-laque
— processed secretion of the lac insect
German:
Schellack
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Greek:
γομαλάκα
(gomaláka)
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Greek:
σελάκη
(seláki)
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Hindi:
चपड़ा
(capṛā)
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Hungarian:
sellak
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Indonesian:
sirlak
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Italian:
gommalacca
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Japanese:
シェラック
(sherakku)
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Polish:
szelak
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Polish:
gumilaka
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Portuguese:
goma-laca
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Romanian:
șelac
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Russian:
шелла́к
(šellák)
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Russian:
гуммила́к
(gummilák)
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Spanish:
goma laca
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Swedish:
schellack
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Turkish:
şellak
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Ottoman Turkish:
غومالاقه
(gomalaka)
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Ottoman Turkish:
غومالاق
(gomalak)
— processed secretion of the lac insect
Bulgarian:
лакирам
(lakiram)
— to coat with shellac
Dutch:
lakken
— to coat with shellac
Finnish:
lakata
— to coat with shellac
French:
laquer
— to coat with shellac
German:
lackieren
— to coat with shellac
Italian:
laccare
— to coat with shellac
Spanish:
lacar
— to coat with shellac
Spanish:
laquear
— to coat with shellac
Bulgarian:
сразявам
(srazjavam)
— to inflict a heavy defeat upon
Bulgarian:
сразя
(srazja)
— to inflict a heavy defeat upon
Finnish:
murskata
— to inflict a heavy defeat upon
Latin:
dēvincō
— to inflict a heavy defeat upon
Russian:
побежда́ть
(pobeždátʹ)
— to inflict a heavy defeat upon
