Shellac is a natural, glossy coating made from the secretions of tiny insects called lac bugs that live in forests in India and Thailand. These bugs produce a resin to protect themselves, and people harvest it, process it into flakes, and dissolve it in alcohol to create a liquid finish.

For centuries, woodworkers have used shellac to give furniture, musical instruments, and floors a beautiful, protective shine. When you brush it on wood, the alcohol evaporates quickly, leaving behind a hard, smooth surface that brings out the wood's natural color and grain. Makers of stringed instruments value shellac because it helps create a warm, resonant tone. Before modern plastics, shellac was even used to make phonograph records (predecessors to vinyl records and CDs).

As a verb, shellac can also mean to defeat someone thoroughly and decisively. If your soccer team shellacs the opposing team 8 to 0, you've beaten them badly.

Today, craftspeople still use shellac for restoration work and fine woodworking, though synthetic finishes have largely replaced it for everyday uses. You can find it at hardware stores in various colors, from clear to amber to deep orange.