Etymology Borrowed from French lacque (“a sort of sealing wax”), from Portuguese laca, lacca (“gum lac”), from Persian لاک (lâk), from Hindi लाख (lākh), from Sanskrit लाक्षा (lākṣā). Doublet of lac.
1
A glossy, resinous material used as a surface coating; either a natural exudation of certain trees, or a solution of nitrocellulose in alcohol, etc.
Had he deemed it "wisest, best," Mr. O'Donagough was not without the means of furnishing a splendid mansion in very showy style, and yet not leaving a single morsel of lacker, or or-molu, unpaid for.1840, Frances Trollope, “Practical Information Carefully Obtained, and Promptly Acted upon— […]”, in The Widow Married; […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 2:
It is a solvent for nitrocellulose and vinyl chloride-acetate resins and may function as an antiblush agent in lacquers.1954, Arthur K. Doolittle, The technology of solvents and plasticizers:
2 more examples
Cellosolves are used as solvents for lacquers, for sealing cellophane wrapping, and in hydraulic-brake fluid.1960, Francis E. Condon, Herbert Meislich, Introduction to Organic Chemistry, page 274:
In place of traditional methods in which materials such as gesso, yellow ocher, powdered earth, liquid glue, and Japan tallow were used to obtain a gloss, and transparent lacquer was rubbed into the wood to protect it, materials such as artificially produced varoids and lacquer came into widespread use.1992, Tadashi Inumaru, Mitsukuni Yoshida, The Traditional Crafts of Japan: Wood and bamboo:
Etymology Borrowed from French lacque (“a sort of sealing wax”), from Portuguese laca, lacca (“gum lac”), from Persian لاک (lâk), from Hindi लाख (lākh), from Sanskrit लाक्षा (lākṣā). Doublet of lac.
1
To apply a lacquer to something or to give something a smooth, glossy finish.