lac·quer (l?k??r)n.1. Any of various clear or colored synthetic coatings made by dissolving nitrocellulose or other cellulose derivatives together with plasticizers and pigments in a mixture of volatile solvents and used to impart a high gloss to surfaces.2. A glossy, resinous material, such as the processed sap of the lacquer tree, used as a surface coating.3. A finish that is baked onto the inside of food and beverage cans.tr.v. lac·quered, lac·quer·ing, lac·quers 1. To coat with lacquer.2. To give a sleek, glossy finish to.[Obsolete French lacre, sealing wax, from Portuguese, from lacca, resin of the lac insect, from Arabic lakk; see lac1.]lac?quer·er n.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.lacquer (?læk?) n1. (Elements & Compounds) a hard glossy coating made by dissolving cellulose derivatives or natural resins in a volatile solvent2. (Elements & Compounds) a black resinous substance, obtained from certain trees, used to give a hard glossy finish to wooden furniture3. (Plants) lacquer tree Also called: varnish tree an E Asian anacardiaceous tree, Rhus verniciflua, whose stem yields a toxic exudation from which black lacquer is obtained4. (Hairdressing & Grooming) Also called: hair lacquer a mixture of shellac and alcohol for spraying onto the hair to hold a style in place5. (Art Terms) art decorative objects coated with such lacquer, often inlaidvb (tr) to apply lacquer to[C16: from obsolete French lacre sealing wax, from Portuguese laca lac1] ?lacquerer nCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014lac?quer (?læk ?r) n. 1. a protective coating consisting of a resin, cellulose ester, or both, dissolved in a volatile solvent sometimes with pigment added. 2. any of various resinous varnishes used to produce a highly polished, lustrous surface on wood. 3. Also called lac?quer?ware`. ware, esp. of wood, coated with such a varnish and often inlaid. v.t. 4. to coat with lacquer. 5. to cover, as with facile or fluent words or explanations cleverly worded, etc.; obscure the faults of; gloss (often fol. by over): The speech tended to lacquer over the terrible conditions. [1570?80; earlier leckar, laker