Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote in
:

FWIW "varnish" is pretty much a generic term to describe any clear
protective finish including shellac, lacquer, etc. Basically a resin
dissolved in a liquid.

Well, the Oxford English Dictionary agrees with you (and traces
the word back to a Greek word referring to a place in Asia Minor
where tree resin was collected).

But like Mike, I think in modern usage shellac and lacquer are
considered different, and varnish refers to the finishes which
have a polymerization reaction - polyurethane, epoxy, etc.

John