japanning

Founding-era definition · Webster's 1828 American Dictionary

JAPAN'NING, participle present tense Varnishing in the manner of the Japanese; giving a glossy black surface. JAPAN'NING, noun The art of varnishing and drawing figures on wood or other material, in the manner practiced by the Japanese.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI

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