brush Hear it!

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brush1 definition

brush (brus̸h)

noun

  1. brushwood
  2. ☆ sparsely settled country, covered with wild scrub growth
    1. a device having bristles, hairs, or wires fastened into a hard back, with or without a handle attached: brushes are used for cleaning, polishing, painting, smoothing the hair, etc.
    2. a device of wires attached in a fanlike spread to a handle, used as on drums or cymbals for a swishing or muted effect
  4. the act of brushing
  5. a light, grazing stroke a brush of the hand
  6. brushwork
  7. a bushy tail, esp. that of a fox
  8. ☆ Slang brushoff
  9. Elec.
    1. a piece, plate, rod, or bundle of carbon, copper, etc. used as a conductor between an external circuit and a revolving part, as in a motor
    2. brush discharge

Etymology: ME brushe < OFr broce, brosse, bush, brushwood < VL *bruscia < Gmc *bruskaz, underbrush: for IE base see breast

transitive verb

  1. to use a brush on; clean, polish, paint, smooth, etc. with a brush
  2. to apply, spread, remove, etc. with a stroke or strokes as of a brush
  3. to go over lightly, as with a brush
  4. to touch or graze in passing

intransitive verb

to move so as to push lightly aside, skim, or graze past something
brush Idioms

brush aside

or brush away
  1. to sweep out of the way
  2. to dismiss from consideration

brush off

☆ Slang
to dismiss or get rid of abruptly or rudely

brush up

  1. to make neat or presentable
  2. to refresh one's memory or skill: often with on to brush up on one's French
brush2 definition

brush (brus̸h)

intransitive verb

to hurry

Etymology: ME bruschen, rush < ? OFr brosser, to travel (? through woods), beat underbrush for game: see brush

noun

a short, quick fight, skirmish, etc. a brush with the law

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms brush idiom

brush Synonyms

brush

n.

  1. A brushing instrument] Common types of brushes include: bristle, fiber, wire, nail, clothes, camel's hair, hydraulic, rotary, paint, tooth, scrubbing, bottle, floor, hair, bath, dust;

  2. A touch

    rub, tap, stroke, graze; see touch 2.

  3. A light encounter

    skirmish, scrap, patrol action; see battle 1, fight 1.

  4. Underbrush

    thicket, boscage, undergrowth, second growth, chaparral, cover, brushwood, shrubbery, canebrake, grove, hedge, underwood, gorse, bracken, sedge, scrub, copse, coppice, spinney, dingle, brake; see also bush 1.

  5. *The act of ignoring

    cut, slight, rebuff, brushoff*; see insult, rudeness.


brush

v.

  1. To clean by brushing

    sweep, whisk, wipe; see clean.

  2. To touch lightly

    stroke, smooth, graze; see touch.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

brush Usage Examples

Object

  • aluminum: It's got a professional quality which is matched only by brushed aluminum.

Converse of object

  • scrub: You can cement up with a scrubbing brush on the external side, then clean off with a rag.

Adjective modifier

  • stiff: The cleaning operation must leave no residues on the cleaned surface and any wet storage staining should be removed using a stiff brush.

Modifies a noun

  • stroke: His gesture inspired the next bit of art: all brush strokes made in the finished piece are in the shape of a cross.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • aside: Yet these nuances have been brushed aside by a Pentagon in its efforts to present the image of broad support.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • aside: Brighton council has brushed aside this dowdy image for its new central library.

Preposition: under

  • carpet: Whenever I do bring up points for debate, they are brushed under the carpet, as silly, or middle england.

Preposition: with

  • toothpaste: It is important to brush with a fluoride toothpaste and keep sugary foods and drinks to mealtimes only.

Noun used with modifier

  • bristle: Price: £ 1.99 Dog Toothbrush A soft bristle brush for cleaning your dogs teeth.
brush usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

brush quotes

What should I do with your strong, manly, spirited sketches, full of variety and glow?öHow could I possibly jointhemontothe littlebit (two inches wide) of ivory on which I work with so fine a brush, as produces little effect after much labour?

-Austen,Jane

But where dothey find these lines innature? Personally I only see forms that are lit up and forms that are not, planes which advance and planes which recede, relief and depth. My eye never sees outlines or particular features ordetails.I donot count thehairs in the beard of the man who passes byany more than the buttonholes on his jacket attract my notice. My brush should not see better than I do.

-Goya, Francisco de

brush quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"brush." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/brush>

APA Style

brush. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/brush

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