1. French polish - Noun
2. French polish - Verb
a varnish for wood consisting of shellac dissolved in alcohol
the glaze produced by repeated applications of French polish shellac
Source: WordNetFrench-polish
Until recent advances in technology, shellac (French polish) was the only glue used in the making of ballet dancers' pointe shoes, to stiffen the box (toe area) to support the dancer en pointe. Source: Internet