Definition of
Flash
- (noun, event) a sudden intense burst of radiant energy
- (noun, attribute) a momentary brightness
- (noun, event) a short vivid experience
the flashings of pain were a warning - (noun, cognition) a sudden brilliant understanding
- (noun, time) a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
- (noun, communication) a gaudy outward display
- (noun, communication) a burst of light used to communicate or illuminate
- (noun, communication) a short news announcement concerning some on-going news story
- (noun, artifact) a bright patch of color used for decoration or identification
a flash sewn on his sleeve indicated the unit he belonged to - (noun, artifact) a lamp for providing momentary light to take a photograph
- (verb, perception) gleam or glow intermittently
- (verb, change) appear briefly
- (verb, perception) display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously
- (verb, communication) make known or cause to appear with great speed
- (verb, motion) run or move very quickly or hastily
- (verb, perception) expose or show briefly
- (verb, contact) protect by covering with a thin sheet of metal
- (verb, change) emit a brief burst of light
- (adj, all) tastelessly showy
a flashy ring
garish colors
a gaudy costume
loud sport shirts
a meretricious yet stylish book
tawdry ornaments
via WordNet, Princeton University
Synonyms of Flash
blink, blink of an eye, brassy, cheap, dart, dash, fanfare, flare, flash bulb, flash lamp, flashbulb, flashgun, flashing, flashy, flaunt, garish, gaudy, gimcrack, heartbeat, instant, jiffy, loud, meretricious, new york minute, news bulletin, newsbreak, newsflash, ostentate, ostentation, photoflash, scoot, scud, shoot, show off, split second, swank, tacky, tatty, tawdry, trashy, trice, twinkle, twinkling, wink, winkle
Alternate forms of Flash
Derivations: flash, flasher, flashing, flashy
Hyponyms: bengal light, bluster, bravado, coruscation, exhibitionism, flex, flick, flicker, gleam, gleaming, glimmer, glint, glitter, heat flash, lightning, pedantry, plunge, ritz, spark, sparkle, splurge, star shell, streak, very light, very-light
Hypernyms: appear, belt along, bit, brainstorm, brainwave, brightness, bucket along, bulletin, cannonball along, convey, cover, display, exhibit, experience, expose, happening, hasten, hie, hotfoot, insight, lamp, minute, mo, moment, natural event, occurrence, occurrent, patch, pelt along, photographic equipment, race, radiate, rush, rush along, second, show, speed, step on it, visual signal
Origin of the word Flash
- late 14c., from flasken (c.1300) "to dash or splash" (as water), probably imitative. Related: Flashed. Sense of "give off a sudden burst of light or flame" is 1540s, as is the noun. Meaning "photographic lamp" is from 1913. Flash in the pan (1809) is from old-style guns, where the powder might ignite in the pan but fail to spark the main charge. more
via Online Etymology Dictionary, ©2001 Douglas Harper
Words that sound like Flash
fabulous, falco, fall guy, fallacious, fallacy, falls, false, false sago, falsie, feel like, felicia, felis, felis chaus, felucca, filago, filch, file-like, fils, flack, flag, flak, flake, flakey, flaky, flashy, flask, flawless, flax, fleck, fleece, fleecy
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