Definitions

1. noun

the act of removing the gilding or varnish from something, especially a book or a picture, to reveal the underlying material

“The conservator’s careful deboshment of the 19th-century painting revealed a beautiful, intricate design underneath.”

2. noun

the state of being without a gilding or varnish, especially on a book or a picture

“The old book was in a state of deboshment, its once-golden letters now dull and faded.”