Tarnish — A Vocabulary Story
Kamau and the Dull Trumpet
At the back of the cupboard under the stairs, behind the tent and the box of Christmas lights, Kamau found a trumpet.
It was not shiny. It was the brown-grey colour of an old puddle, and when he blew into it, it made a noise like a goose that had swallowed a comb.
"That was mine," said his dad, appearing in the hall. "I played it in a band when I was your age. It's tarnished now. Twenty years in a cupboard will do that."
Tarnish means to lose or cause metal to lose its shine, or to spoil someone's reputation. It can also mean the dull film that forms on metal or a stain on a good name.
"Can we un-tarnish it?"
"We can try."
His dad mixed a paste of lemon juice and salt, which Kamau said smelt like a chip shop, and they set to work with old rags. The tarnish came off slowly, in grey smears, and underneath the brass began to glow, first in patches and then all over, until the trumpet looked like a little golden sunrise sitting on the kitchen table.
Kamau's little sister Wanjiru came in to see what the fuss was about and had to shade her eyes.
"Now," said Kamau's dad, lifting it to his lips, "listen to this."
He blew. It still sounded like a goose. But a much happier, much shinier goose.
Kamau laughed so hard he had to hold on to the table. "The shine came back," he said, "but your playing tarnished."
"Cheek," said his dad, and chased him twice round the kitchen.
Word Definition
tarnish
meaning
to lose or cause to lose shine, especially of metal, by exposure to air or damp; to spoil or damage someone's reputation or good name; a dull film or discolouration on the surface of metal; a mark or stain on someone's reputation
synonyms
discolour · corrode · spoil · blemish · dull
antonyms
polish · brighten
example sentence
The old silver spoons began to tarnish in the damp cupboard.