Polish Meaning
/ˈpəʊlɪʃ/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA substance used to polish.
adjOf, from or native to Poland, or relating to the Polish language.
Sentence Examples
Don't forget to polish your shoes before you go out!
You should polish your shoes before you go to the party.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She used a damp cloth to ____ the old silver until it reflected light.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She spent an hour trying to ____ the old silver candlesticks until they gleamed like new.
Word Origin & History
From Pole + -ish. Doublet of Poylish.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Vinokur pulled the trigger a second and third time. "You're lying, you Polish cunt!" he screamed."
— 2007, Elazar Barkan, Elizabeth A. Cole, Kai Struve, Shared History, Divided Memory, page 287:
"As we mentioned the only chemical used in Polish meats or sausages was potassium nitrate even though the list of food additives allowed in Europe was long and impressive."
— 2009, Stanley Marianski, Adam Marianski, Miroslaw Gebarowski, Polish Sausages: Authentic Recipes and Instructions, page 13:
"“There’s a sense of betrayal,” said the former Hamtramck mayor Karen Majewski, who is Polish American."
— 2023 June 17, Tom Perkins, “‘A sense of betrayal’: liberal dismay as Muslim-led US city bans Pride flags”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 10 Aug 2023:
"A far-right Polish MP has extinguished candles on a menorah lit for Hanukah in Poland’s parliament, disrupting proceedings before a planned vote of confidence in the new government."
— 2023 December 12, Shaun Walker, “Far-right Polish MP uses fire extinguisher to put out Hanukah candles”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 15 Jun 2025:
"The big advantage of learning Russian is that, once you’re proficient, you can understand other Slav languages such as Czech, Polish or Bulgarian."
— 2021 April 25, John Malathronas, “Which languages are easiest – and most difficult – for native English speakers to learn?”, in CNN, archived from the original on 22 Mar 2022:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She used a damp cloth to ____ the old silver until it reflected light.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She spent an hour trying to ____ the old silver candlesticks until they gleamed like new.