See Also: Flash(money)
flash(medicine)
hot flash(medicine)
Flash(finance)
flash(1)(dictionary)
flash(2)(dictionary)
flash(3)(dictionary)
flash(4)(dictionary)
flash(dictionary)
flash 1, verb(dictionary)

flash (iou)



flash verb. ME.
[App. imit.: cf. PLASH verb2, DASH verb1, SPLASH verb1, SLASH verb.]
I. Expr. movement of water.
verb trans. Splash (water) about, (up)on. obsolete exc. as passing into sense 6. ME.
T. Herbert The wave flashing upon our decks..much salt water.
verb intrans. Of the sea, a wave, a river, etc.: dash, break, flow swiftly. (Passing into sense 5.) LME.
M. Scott The roaring surf was flashing up over the clumps of green bushes.
verb trans. Send a flash or rush of water down (a river, millstream, etc.). L18.
II. With ref. to light or fire. Freq. with adverbs.
verb intrans. Burst suddenly into flame or light; give out flame or sparks. LME.
J. Tyndall Lightning flashed about the summits of the Jungfrau. J. Barnes Every third street-lamp flickered and flashed into life.
verb intrans. Move swiftly, like a flash of light; burst suddenly into view or perception. LME.
R. L. Stevenson It flashed into my mind..that..the powder for the gun had been left behind. E. Glasgow A bird and its shadow flashed over the winter fields. G. Heyer Often the answer to a problem will flash upon one in the night.
verb trans. (Cause to) emit or reflect (light, fire, etc.) like a flash or in flashes; cause to gleam or shine; send out swiftly. L16.
C. Kingsley Turning round I had a lantern flashed in my face. W. S. Maugham A light was flashed and in that heavy darkness the sudden glare was terrifying.
b. verb trans. & intrans. spec. Signal to (other traffic) by causing one's vehicle's (head)lights to shine briefly or intermittently. M20.
verb intrans. Break out into sudden action, words, etc. E17.
A. H. Green The imprisoned steam flashes forth in repeated explosions.
b. Burst into sudden anger or excitement. Foll. by out, up. E19.
Chiefly slang.
a. verb intrans. Make a flash or display, show off. Now rare. E17.
Shakespeare Timon of Athens A naked gull, which flashes now a phoenix.
b. verb trans. Make a great display of, exhibit ostentatiously, show off. L18.
A. Carter The blonde..flashed a pair of vast, blue, indecorous eyes at the young reporter.
c. verb trans. & intrans. Exhibit or expose (part of one's body, esp. the genitals) briefly and indecently. slang. M19.
verb intrans. Emit or reflect light suddenly or intermittently; gleam. L18.
Shelley Like winged stars the fireflies flash and glance. R. Macaulay Fierce black eyes that flashed while he spoke.
verb trans. Express or communicate by a flash or flashes; esp. send (a message, news, etc.) by radio, telegraph, etc. L18.
J. A. Froude The cannon..flashed their welcome through the darkness. Listener Electronic indicators which flash train times and platform numbers momentarily.
b. verb trans. & intrans. Cinematography. Show or be shown briefly on the screen. E20.
verb trans. Cover (glass etc.) with a thin layer or film of some material. M19.
With adverbs in specialized senses: flash over (a) make an (accidental) electric circuit by sparking across a gap; (b) (of a fire) spread instantly across a gap because of intense heat.
Comb.: flashback (a) a flame moving rapidly back through a combustible vapour; (b) a scene in a film, novel, etc., which returns or changes to an earlier time; flash-board a board set up on a mill-dam to increase the flow of water through the mill; flash-over an accidental electrical discharge across a gap, esp. where the voltage is too great for the insulation on a conductor.