Complete Definition of "flash"

wikipedia
English

Etymology
From the ME. word flashen (to splash), a variant of flasken, which was likely of imitative origin.

Pronunciation
Hyphenation: flash (one syllable)
rhymes|æ�
audio|en-us-flash.ogg|Audio (US)

Verb
en-verb|flash|es

  1. To briefly illuminate a scene.

#:He flashed the light at the water, trying to see what made the noise.

  1. To blink; to shine or illuminate intermittently.

#:The light flashed on and off.

  1. To be visible briefly.

#:The scenery flashed by quickly.

  1. To make visible briefly.

#:A number will be flashed on the screen.

  1. computing To write to the memory of an updatable component such as a BIOS chip or games cartridge.
  2. colloquial To expose one's naked body in public briefly.
  3. metallurgy To release the pressure from a pressurized vessel.

Synonyms
(to briefly illuminate:) glint

Derived terms
flashing
flashlight
flashback
flasher

Related terms
possibly flush

See also
gleam

Translations
trans-top|briefly illuminate a scene
Danish: lyse, skinne
Serbian: plamsaj
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|blink
Danish: blinke
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|be visible briefly
Danish: glimte
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|make visible briefly
Danish: blive vise|vist i glimt
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|expose one's naked body briefly in public
Danish: blotte sig
trans-mid
trans-bottom

Noun
en-noun|flashes

  1. A sudden, short, temporary burst of light.
  2. linguistics A language, created by a repressed minority to maintain cultural identity, that cannot be understood by the ruling class; for example, Ebonics|ebonics.
  3. A very short amount of time.

#*1876, w:Mark Twain|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.

  1. material|Material left around the edge of a mould|moulded part at the parting line of the mould.
  2. Cockney The strips of bright cloth or buttons worn around the collars of market traders.

Synonyms
(sudden, short, temporary burst of light:) gleam, glint
(material left around the egde of a mould:) moulding flash, molding flash

Antonyms
(very short amount of time:) aeon

Hypernyms
(sudden, short, temporary burst of light:) light

See also
sparkle, shimmer, glimmer, twinkle

Derived terms
flashy
camera flash
flash flood
flash memory
flash point
flash in the pan
in a flash

Translations
trans-top|burst of light
Czech: záblesk m
Danish: glimt n, lyn n
Dutch: flits f
Finnish: välähdys
German: Blitz m
trans-mid
Russian: в�п��ка (vspýška) f, �ве�кание (sv'erkánije) n
trans-bottom

Translations to be checked
checktrans
trans-top|Translations to be checked
ttbc|Chinese: �� (sh�ngu�ng)
trans-mid
ttbc|Japanese: ����� (furasshu)
ttbc|Urdu: (jhalak)
trans-bottom

Adjective
en-adj

  1. context|UK|and|NZ|slang expensive|Expensive looking and attention worthy.

:(compare flashy)

Translations
trans-top|expensive looking and attention worthy
Danish: flot
Finnish: viuhahtaa / väläyttää
trans-mid
trans-bottom

Anagrams
halfs note: nonstandard form of halves.

References
R:Online Etymology Dictionary
For the sense �a short period of time�, the 1858 Notes and Queries of Martim de Albuquerque was consulted. From page 437 of the sixth volume of the second series, published in London by Bell & Dally, 186 Fleet Street, in 1858 :
:Ought we not to collect for posterity the various ways in which very short times are denoted. Besides the one at the head, there are, � in no time, in next to no time, in less than no time, in a trice, in a jiffy, in a brace of shakes, before you can say Jack Robinson, in a crack, in the squeezing of a lemon, in the doubling of your fist, in the twinkling of an eye, in a moment, in an instant, in a flash.

Category:English ergative verbs

ar:flash
de:flash
fa:flash
fr:flash
io:flash
it:flash
hu:flash
simple:flash
ta:flash
te:flash
vi:flash
tr:flash
zh:flash

Revision and Credits for"flash"
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