Word of the Day
23 May 2026
varnish
A passenger train, probably derived from the varnished passenger cars used at one time.
Why this one
Freight crews named the passenger train after its finish: coaches were varnished to a shine while the boxcars behind them stayed plain. The word outlived the wooden cars it described.
In use
Hold that drag in the siding, the varnish is due through here in four minutes and she don't wait on us.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.Sources
- Definition sourceWiktionary