Jump to content

flash

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Archived revision by KassadBot (talk | contribs) as of 22:56, 21 June 2015.
See also: Flash

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

In some senses, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English (deprecated template usage) flasshen, a variant of (deprecated template usage) flasken, flaskien (“to sprinkle, splash”), which was likely of imitative origin; in other senses probably of (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Lua error in Module:parameters at line 573: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "gmq" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. origin akin to Swedish dialectal flasa (“to burn brightly, blaze”), related to flare.

Verb

Lua error in Module:en-headword at line 1101: Legacy parameter 1=es/ies/d no longer supported, just use 'en-verb' without params

  1. To briefly illuminate a scene.
    He flashed the light at the water, trying to see what made the noise.
  2. To blink; to shine or illuminate intermittently.
    The light flashed on and off.
    • Template:RQ:Chmbrs YngrSt
      Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.
  3. To be visible briefly.
    The scenery flashed by quickly.
    • Lua error in Module:quote at line 2956: Parameter 1 is required.
  4. To make visible briefly.
    A number will be flashed on the screen.
    The special agents flashed their badges as they entered the building.
  5. (figurative) To break forth like a sudden flood of light; to show a momentary brilliance.
    • Thomas Talfourd (1795–1854)
      names which have flashed and thundered as the watch words of unnumbered struggles
    • Matthew Arnold (1822-1888)
      The object is made to flash upon the eye of the mind.
    • Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)
      A thought flashed through me, which I clothed in act.
  6. To flaunt; to display in a showy manner.
    He flashed a wad of hundred-dollar bills.
  7. To communicate quickly.
    The news services flashed the news about the end of the war to all corners of the globe.
    to flash a message along the telephone wires;  to flash conviction on the mind
  8. (computing) To write to the memory of an updatable component such as a BIOS chip or games cartridge.
  9. (transitive, intransitive, informal) To briefly, and in most cases inadvertently, expose one's naked body or underwear, or part of it, in public. (Contrast streak.)
    Her skirt was so short that she flashed her underpants as she was getting out of her car.
  10. (metallurgy) To release the pressure from a pressurized vessel.
  11. (juggling) To perform a flash.
  12. To move, or cause to move, suddenly
  13. (glassmaking) To cover with a thin layer, as objects of glass with glass of a different colour.
  14. To trick up in a showy manner.
    • Antony Brewer (fl.1655)
      Limning and flashing it with various dyes.
  15. To strike and throw up large bodies of water from the surface; to splash.
  16. (transitive) To telephone a person, only allowing the phone to ring once, in order to request a call back.
    Susan flashed Jessica, and then Jessica called her back, because Susan didn't have enough credit on her phone to make the call.
  17. (intransitive, of liquid) To evaporate suddenly. See Flash evaporation.
  18. (transitive, climbing) To climb (a route) successfully on the first attempt.
Synonyms
  • (to briefly illuminate): glint
  • (telephoning): beep
Derived terms
See also
Translations
to expose one's naked body briefly in public

Noun

flash (plural flashes)

  1. A sudden, short, temporary burst of light.
  2. (deprecated template usage) (figurative) A sudden and brilliant burst, as of wit or genius.
    • Shakespeare
      the flash and outbreak of a fiery mind
    • Wirt
      No striking sentiment, no flash of fancy.
  3. (deprecated template usage) (linguistics) A language, created by a minority to maintain cultural identity, that cannot be understood by the ruling class; for example, Ebonics.
  4. A very short amount of time.
    • Francis Bacon
      The Persians and Macedonians had it for a flash.
    • 1876, Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,
      Quick—something must be done! done in a flash, too! But the very imminence of the emergency paralyzed his invention.
    • 2011, Phil McNulty, Euro 2012: Montenegro 2-2 England [1]
      Fabio Capello insisted Rooney was in the right frame of mind to play in stormy Podgorica despite his father's arrest on Thursday in a probe into alleged betting irregularities, but his flash of temper - when he kicked out at Miodrag Dzudovic - suggested otherwise.
  5. Material left around the edge of a moulded part at the parting line of the mould.
  6. (deprecated template usage) (Cockney) The strips of bright cloth or buttons worn around the collars of market traders.
  7. (deprecated template usage) (US, colloquial) A flashlight or electric torch.
    • 1939, Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep, Penguin 2011, p. 34:
      I reached a flash out of my car pocket and went down-grade and looked at the car.
  8. A light used for photography - a shortened form of camera flash.
  9. (deprecated template usage) (juggling) A pattern where each prop is thrown and caught only once.
  10. (deprecated template usage) (archaic) A preparation of capsicum, burnt sugar, etc., for colouring liquor to make it look stronger.
Synonyms
  • (sudden, short, temporary burst of light): gleam, glint
  • (material left around the edge of a mould): moulding flash, molding flash
Antonyms
  • (very short amount of time): aeon
Hypernyms
  • (sudden, short, temporary burst of light): light
Derived terms
See also
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Adjective

flash (comparative more flash, superlative most flash)

  1. (deprecated template usage) (British and New Zealand, slang) Expensive-looking and demanding attention; stylish; showy.
    • 1892, Banjo Paterson, The Man from Ironbark
      The barber man was small and flash, as barbers mostly are,
      He wore a strike-your-fancy sash, he smoked a huge cigar;
  2. (deprecated template usage) (UK, of a person) Having plenty of ready money.
  3. (deprecated template usage) (UK, of a person) Liable to show off expensive possessions or money.
  4. (deprecated template usage) (US, slang) Occurring very rapidly, almost instantaneously.
Translations

References

Etymology 2

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English (deprecated template usage) flasche, (deprecated template usage) flaske; compare (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French (deprecated template usage) flache, (deprecated template usage) [etyl] French (deprecated template usage) flaque, which is of (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Lua error in Module:parameters at line 573: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "gem" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. origin, akin to Middle Dutch vlacke (“an estuary, flats with stagnant pools”).

Noun

flash (plural flashes)

  1. A pool.
    (Can we [[:Category:Requests for quotations/{{{2}}}|find and add]] a quotation of {{{2}}} to this entry?)Lua error in Module:parameters at line 573: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "Halliwell" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E.
  2. (deprecated template usage) (engineering) A reservoir and sluiceway beside a navigable stream, just above a shoal, so that the stream may pour in water as boats pass, and thus bear them over the shoal.
Derived terms

Anagrams

French

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] English

Noun

flash m (plural flashs)

  1. flash (burst of light)
  2. (deprecated template usage) (photography) flash
  3. newsflash
  4. (deprecated template usage) (juggling) flash

Derived terms

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=flash&oldid=33066904"