'Flash' definitions:

Definition of 'flash'

From: WordNet
adjective
Tastelessly showy; "a flash car"; "a flashy ring"; "garish colors"; "a gaudy costume"; "loud sport shirts"; "a meretricious yet stylish book"; "tawdry ornaments" [syn: brassy, cheap, flash, flashy, garish, gaudy, gimcrack, loud, meretricious, tacky, tatty, tawdry, trashy]
noun
A sudden intense burst of radiant energy
noun
A momentary brightness
noun
A short vivid experience; "a flash of emotion swept over him"; "the flashings of pain were a warning" [syn: flash, flashing]
noun
A sudden brilliant understanding; "he had a flash of intuition"
noun
A very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat); "if I had the chance I'd do it in a flash" [syn: blink of an eye, flash, heartbeat, instant, jiffy, split second, trice, twinkling, wink, New York minute]
noun
A gaudy outward display [syn: ostentation, fanfare, flash]
noun
A burst of light used to communicate or illuminate [syn: flare, flash]
noun
A short news announcement concerning some on-going news story [syn: news bulletin, newsflash, flash, newsbreak]
noun
A bright patch of color used for decoration or identification; "red flashes adorned the airplane"; "a flash sewn on his sleeve indicated the unit he belonged to"
noun
A lamp for providing momentary light to take a photograph [syn: flash, photoflash, flash lamp, flashgun, flashbulb, flash bulb]
verb
Gleam or glow intermittently; "The lights were flashing" [syn: flash, blink, wink, twinkle, winkle]
verb
Appear briefly; "The headlines flashed on the screen"
verb
Display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously; "he showed off his new sports car" [syn: flaunt, flash, show off, ostentate, swank]
verb
Make known or cause to appear with great speed; "The latest intelligence is flashed to all command posts"
verb
Run or move very quickly or hastily; "She dashed into the yard" [syn: dart, dash, scoot, scud, flash, shoot]
verb
Expose or show briefly; "he flashed a $100 bill"
verb
Protect by covering with a thin sheet of metal; "flash the roof"
verb
Emit a brief burst of light; "A shooting star flashed and was gone"

Definition of 'Flash'

From: GCIDE
  • Flash \Flash\, n.; pl. Flashes.
  • 1. A sudden burst of light; a flood of light instantaneously appearing and disappearing; a momentary blaze; as, a flash of lightning. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. A sudden and brilliant burst, as of wit or genius; a momentary brightness or show. [1913 Webster]
  • The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • No striking sentiment, no flash of fancy. --Wirt. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. The time during which a flash is visible; an instant; a very brief period; as, I'll be back in a flash. [1913 Webster +PJC]
  • The Persians and Macedonians had it for a flash. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. A preparation of capsicum, burnt sugar, etc., for coloring and giving a fictitious strength to liquors. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. A lamp for providing intense momentary light to take a photograph; as, to take a picture without a flash.
  • Syn: flashbulb, photoflash, flash lamp, flashgun. [WordNet 1.5]
  • 6. Same as flashlight. [informal] [PJC]
  • 7. (Journalism) A short news item providing recently received and usually preliminary information about an event that is considered important enough to interrupt normal broadcasting or other news delivery services; also called a news flash or bulletin. [PJC]
  • Flash light, or Flashing light, a kind of light shown by lighthouses, produced by the revolution of reflectors, so as to show a flash of light every few seconds, alternating with periods of dimness. --Knight.
  • Flash in the pan, the flashing of the priming in the pan of a flintlock musket without discharging the piece; hence, sudden, spasmodic effort that accomplishes nothing. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Flash'

From: GCIDE
  • Flash \Flash\ (fl[a^]sh), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Flashed (fl[a^]sht); p. pr. & vb. n. Flashing.] [Cf. OE. flaskien, vlaskien to pour, sprinkle, dial. Sw. flasa to blaze, E. flush, flare.]
  • 1. To burst or break forth with a sudden and transient flood of flame and light; as, the lighting flashes vividly; the powder flashed. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To break forth, as a sudden flood of light; to burst instantly and brightly on the sight; to show a momentary brilliancy; to come or pass like a flash. [1913 Webster]
  • Names which have flashed and thundered as the watch words of unnumbered struggles. --Talfourd. [1913 Webster]
  • The object is made to flash upon the eye of the mind. --M. Arnold. [1913 Webster]
  • A thought flashed through me, which I clothed in act. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. To burst forth like a sudden flame; to break out violently; to rush hastily. [1913 Webster]
  • Every hour He flashes into one gross crime or other. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • flash in the pan, a failure or a poor performance, especially after a normal or auspicious start; also, a person whose initial performance appears augur success but who fails to achieve anything notable. From 4th pan, n., sense 3 -- part of a flintlock. Occasionally, the powder in the pan of a flintlock would flash without conveying the fire to the charge, and the ball would fail to be discharged. Thus, a good or even spectacular beginning that eventually achieves little came to be called a flash in the pan.
  • To flash in the pan, to fail of success, especially after a normal or auspicious start. [Colloq.] See under Flash, a burst of light. --Bartlett. [1913 Webster +PJC]
  • Syn: Flash, Glitter, Gleam, Glisten, Glister.
  • Usage: Flash differs from glitter and gleam, denoting a flood or wide extent of light. The latter words may express the issuing of light from a small object, or from a pencil of rays. Flash differs from other words, also, in denoting suddenness of appearance and disappearance. Flashing differs from exploding or disploding in not being accompanied with a loud report. To glisten, or glister, is to shine with a soft and fitful luster, as eyes suffused with tears, or flowers wet with dew. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Flash'

From: GCIDE
  • Flash \Flash\ (fl[a^]sh), v. t.
  • 1. To send out in flashes; to cause to burst forth with sudden flame or light. [1913 Webster]
  • The chariot of paternal Deity, Flashing thick flames. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To convey as by a flash; to light up, as by a sudden flame or light; as, to flash a message along the wires; to flash conviction on the mind. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. (Glass Making) To cover with a thin layer, as objects of glass with glass of a different color. See Flashing, n., 3 (b) . [1913 Webster]
  • 4. To trick up in a showy manner. [1913 Webster]
  • Limning and flashing it with various dyes. --A. Brewer. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. [Perh. due to confusion between flash of light and plash, splash.] To strike and throw up large bodies of water from the surface; to splash. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
  • He rudely flashed the waves about. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]
  • Flashed glass. See Flashing, n., 3. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Flash'

From: GCIDE
  • Flash \Flash\, a.
  • 1. Showy, but counterfeit; cheap, pretentious, and vulgar; as, flash jewelry; flash finery. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. Wearing showy, counterfeit ornaments; vulgarly pretentious; as, flash people; flash men or women; -- applied especially to thieves, gamblers, and prostitutes that dress in a showy way and wear much cheap jewelry. [1913 Webster]
  • Flash house, a house frequented by flash people, as thieves and whores; hence, a brothel. "A gang of footpads, reveling with their favorite beauties at a flash house." --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Flash'

From: GCIDE
  • Flash \Flash\, n. Slang or cant of thieves and prostitutes. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Flash'

From: GCIDE
  • Flash \Flash\, n. [OE. flasche, flaske; cf. OF. flache, F. flaque.]
  • 1. A pool. [Prov. Eng.] --Haliwell. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. (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. [1913 Webster]
  • Flash wheel (Mech.), a paddle wheel made to revolve in a breast or curved water way, by which water is lifted from the lower to the higher level. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'flash'

From: Moby Thesaurus

Words containing 'Flash'