flash
Noun · Verb · AdjectiveWordNet 3.0
Noun (10)
- a sudden intense burst of radiant energy
- a momentary brightness
- a short vivid experience“a flash of emotion swept over him”“the flashings of pain were a warning”Synonyms: flashing
- a sudden brilliant understanding“he had a flash of intuition”
- 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”Synonyms: blink of an eyeheartbeatinstantjiffysplit secondtricetwinklingwinkNew York minute
- a gaudy outward displaySynonyms: ostentationfanfare
- a burst of light used to communicate or illuminateSynonyms: flare
- a short news announcement concerning some on-going news storySynonyms: news bulletinnewsflashnewsbreak
- 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”
- a lamp for providing momentary light to take a photographSynonyms: photoflashflash lampflashgunflashbulbflash bulb
Verb (8)
- gleam or glow intermittently“The lights were flashing”Synonyms: blinkwinktwinklewinkle
- appear briefly“The headlines flashed on the screen”
- display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously“he showed off his new sports car”Synonyms: flauntshow offostentateswank
- make known or cause to appear with great speed“The latest intelligence is flashed to all command posts”
- run or move very quickly or hastily“She dashed into the yard”Synonyms: dartdashscootscudshoot
- expose or show briefly“he flashed a $100 bill”
- protect by covering with a thin sheet of metal“flash the roof”
- emit a brief burst of light“A shooting star flashed and was gone”
Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
<file format, web> (Or "Shockwave Flash") A file format for delivering interactive vector graphics and animation on the web, developed by Macromedia.
(http://macromedia.com/software/flash/).
(1998-07-07)
2.<storage> flash memory.
2.<chat> A program to flood a Unix user's terminal with garbage by exploiting a security hole in the talk daemon.
(1996-09-08)