Definitions for brush
brʌʃbrush

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. brush, brushwood, coppice, copse, thicketnoun

   a dense growth of bushes

2. brushnoun

   an implement that has hairs or bristles firmly set into a handle

3. brush, light touchnoun

   momentary contact

4. brushnoun

   conducts current between rotating and stationary parts of a generator or motor

5. brushnoun

   a bushy tail or part of a bushy tail (especially of the fox)

6. brush, clash, encounter, skirmishnoun

   a minor short-term fight

7. brush, brushingnoun

   the act of brushing your teeth

   "the dentist recommended two brushes a day"

8. brush, brushingnoun

   the act of brushing your hair

   "he gave his hair a quick brush"

9. brushverb

   contact with something dangerous or undesirable

   "I had a brush with danger on my way to work"; "he tried to avoid any brushes with the police"

10. brushverb

    rub with a brush, or as if with a brush

    "Johnson brushed the hairs from his jacket"

11. brushverb

    touch lightly and briefly

    "He brushed the wall lightly"

12. brushverb

    clean with a brush

    "She brushed the suit before hanging it back into the closet"

13. brush, sweepverb

    sweep across or over

    "Her long skirt brushed the floor"; "A gasp swept cross the audience"

14. brushverb

    remove with or as if with a brush

    "brush away the crumbs"; "brush the dust from the jacket"; "brush aside the objections"

15. brushverb

    cover by brushing

    "brush the bread with melted butter"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. brushnoun

   An implement consisting of multiple more or less flexible bristles or other filaments attached to a handle, used for any of various purposes including cleaning, painting, and arranging hair.

2. brushnoun

   A piece of conductive material, usually carbon, serving to maintain electrical contact between the stationary and rotating parts of a machine.

3. brushnoun

   The act of brushing something.

   She gave her hair a quick brush.

4. brushnoun

   Wild vegetation, generally larger than grass but smaller than trees.

5. brushnoun

   A short and sometimes occasional encounter or experience.

   He has had brushes with communism from time to time.

6. brushnoun

   The furry tail of an animal, especially of a fox.

7. brushnoun

   An instrument, resembling a brush, used to produce a soft sound from drums or cymbals.

8. brushnoun

   In 3D video games, a convex polyhedron, especially one that defines structure of the play area.

9. brushnoun

   The floorperson of a poker room, usually in a casino.

10. brushverb

    To clean with a brush.

    Brush your teeth.

11. brushverb

    To untangle or arrange with a brush.

    Brush your hair.

12. brushverb

    To apply with a brush.

    Brush the paint onto the walls.

13. brushverb

    To remove with a sweeping motion.

    Brush the flour off your clothes.

14. brushverb

    To touch with a sweeping motion.

    Her scarf brushed his skin.

15. brushnoun

    (North Wisconsin, uncountable) Evergreen boughs, especially balsam, locally cut and baled for export, usually for use in wreathmaking.

16. Etymology: brusshe, from broisse (compare Modern brosse) from of origin, from bruskaz, from bhreus-. Akin to bürste, byrst, broz, breost, bъrščь.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. BRUSHnoun

   Etymology: brosse, Fr. from bruscus, Lat.

   1. An instrument to clean any thing, by rubbing off the dirt or soil. It is generally made of bristles set in wood.2. It is used for the larger and stronger pencils used by painters.

   Whence comes all this rage of wit? this arming all the pencils and brushes of the town against me? Edward Stillingfleet.

   With a small brush you must smear the glue well upon the joint of each piece. Joseph Moxon, Mechanical Exercises.

   3. A rude assault; a shock; rough treatment; which, by the same metaphor, we call a scouring.

   Let grow thy sinews till their knots be strong,
   And tempt not yet the brushes of the war. William Shakespeare.

   It could not be possible, that, upon so little a brush as Waller had sustained, he could not be able to follow and disturb the king. Edward Hyde, b. viii.

   Else when we put it to the push,
   They had not giv’n us such a brush. Hudibras.

2. To Brushverb

   Etymology: from the noun.

   1. To sweep or rub with a brush.

   If he be not in love with some woman, there is no believing old signs; he brushes his hat o’ morning; what should that bode? William Shakespeare, Much ado about Nothing.

   2. To strike with quickness, as in brushing.

   The wrathful beast about him turned light,
   And him so rudely passing by, did brush
   With his long tail, that horse and man to ground did rush. Edmund Spenser, Fairy Queen, b. i. cant. ii. stanz. 16.

   Has Somnus brush’d thy eyelids with his rod? Dryden.

   His son Cupavo brush’d the briny flood,
   Upon his stern a brawny centaur stood. John Dryden, Æneid.

   High o’er the billows flew the massy load,
   And near the ship came thund’ring on the flood,
   It almost brush’d the helm. Alexander Pope, Odyssey, b. ix.

   3. To paint with a brush.

   You have commissioned me to paint your shop, and I have done my best to brush you up like your neighbours. Alexander Pope.

   4. To carry away, by an act like that of brushing.

   And from the boughs brush off the evil dew,
   And heal the harms of thwarting thunder blew. John Milton.

   The receptacle of waters, into which the mouths of all rivers must empty themselves, ought to have so spacious a surface, that as much water may be continually brushed off by the winds, and exhaled by the sun, as, besides what falls again, is brought into it by all the rivers. Richard Bentley.

   5. To move as the brush.

   A thousand nights have brush’d their balmy wings
   Over these eyes. John Dryden, Don Sebastian.

3. To Brushverb

   1. To move with haste: a ludicrous word, applied to men.

   Nor wept his fate, nor cast a pitying eye,
   Nor took him down, but brush’d regardless by. Dryden.

   The French had gather’d all their force,
   And William met them in their way;
   Yet off they brush’d, both foot and horse. Matthew Prior.

   2. To fly over; to skim lightly.

   Nor love is always of a vicious kind,
   But oft to virtuous acts inflames the mind,
   Awakes the sleepy vigour of the soul,
   And, brushing o’er, adds motion to the pool. John Dryden, Fab.

Wikipedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Brush

   A brush is a common tool with bristles, wire or other filaments. It generally consists of a handle or block to which filaments are affixed in either a parallel or perpendicular orientation, depending on the way the brush is to be gripped during use. The material of both the block and bristles or filaments is chosen to withstand hazards of its intended use, such as corrosive chemicals, heat or abrasion. It is used for cleaning, grooming hair, make up, painting, surface finishing and for many other purposes. It is one of the most basic and versatile tools in use today, and the average household may contain several dozen varieties.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Brushnoun

   an instrument composed of bristles, or other like material, set in a suitable back or handle, as of wood, bone, or ivory, and used for various purposes, as in removing dust from clothes, laying on colors, etc. Brushes have different shapes and names according to their use; as, clothes brush, paint brush, tooth brush, etc

2. Brushnoun

   the bushy tail of a fox

3. Brushnoun

   a tuft of hair on the mandibles

4. Brushnoun

   branches of trees lopped off; brushwood

5. Brushnoun

   a thicket of shrubs or small trees; the shrubs and small trees in a wood; underbrush

6. Brushnoun

   a bundle of flexible wires or thin plates of metal, used to conduct an electrical current to or from the commutator of a dynamo, electric motor, or similar apparatus

7. Brushnoun

   the act of brushing; as, to give one's clothes a brush; a rubbing or grazing with a quick motion; a light touch; as, we got a brush from the wheel as it passed

8. Brushnoun

   a skirmish; a slight encounter; a shock or collision; as, to have a brush with an enemy

9. Brushnoun

   a short contest, or trial, of speed

10. Brushnoun

    to apply a brush to, according to its particular use; to rub, smooth, clean, paint, etc., with a brush

11. Brushnoun

    to touch in passing, or to pass lightly over, as with a brush

12. Brushnoun

    to remove or gather by brushing, or by an act like that of brushing, or by passing lightly over, as wind; -- commonly with off

13. Brushverb

    to move nimbly in haste; to move so lightly as scarcely to be perceived; as, to brush by

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Brush

   A brush is a tool with bristles, wire or other filaments, used for cleaning, grooming hair, make up, painting, surface finishing and for many other purposes. It is one of the most basic and versatile tools known to mankind, and the average household may contain several dozen varieties. It generally consists of a handle or block to which filaments are affixed either parallel- or perpendicular-wise, depending on the way the brush is to be gripped during use. The material of both the block and bristles or filaments is chosen to withstand hazards of its application, such as corrosive chemicals, heat or abrasion.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Brush

   brush, n. an instrument for removing dust, usually made of bristles, twigs, feathers, or stiff grass stems: a kind of hair-pencil used by painters: a painter, one who uses the brush: brushwood: a skirmish or encounter: the tail of a fox: (elect.) a brush-like discharge of sparks: one of the bundles of copper wires or flexible strips in contact with the commutator of the armature on opposite sides, and which carry off the positive and negative currents of electricity generated.—v.t. to remove dust, &c., from by sweeping: to touch lightly in passing: remove (with off): to thrash.—v.i. to move over lightly: to make off with a rush.—n. Brush′ing, the act of rubbing or sweeping.—adj. in a lively manner: brisk.—ns. Brush′-wheel, a wheel used in light machinery to turn another by having the rubbing surface covered with stiff hairs or bristles; Brush′wood, rough close bushes: a thicket.—adj. Brush′y, rough, rugged.—To brush up, to brighten, revive. [O. Fr. brosse, a brush, brushwood—Low L. bruscia; Diez connects the Fr. with Old High Ger. burst, bursta, bristle.]

The Standard Electrical Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Brush

   In electric current generators and motors, the pieces of copper or other material that bear against the cylindrical surface of the commutator are thus termed. Many different constructions have been employed. Some have employed little wheels or discs bearing against and rotating on the surface of the commutator. A bundle of copper strips is often employed, placed flatwise. Sometimes the same are used, but are placed edgewise. Wire in bundles, soldered together at their distant ends have been employed. Carbon brushes, which are simply rods or slabs of carbon, are used with much success. Synonym--Collecting Brush.

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. brush

   A move; a skirmish.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. brush

   A type of tool created and designed in various colors, materials, shapes and sizes.

   She only has one brush for her hair as that is all she needs.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on February 10, 2020  

Matched Categories

1. • Clean
   • Cover
   • Dental Care
   • Electrical Device
   • Fight
   • Hair Care
   • Implement
   • Move
   • Remove
   • Rub
   • Tail
   • Touch

British National Corpus

1. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'brush' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3897

2. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'brush' in Nouns Frequency: #2048

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'brush' in Verbs Frequency: #705

Anagrams for brush »

1. shrub

How to pronounce brush?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say brush in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of brush in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of brush in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of brush in a Sentence

1. Vice President Joe Biden:

   In the summer of 2007, Iowa State Rep. Lisa Heddens introduced her mentally disabled son to then-Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware. ‘Biden didn’t brush him off and was patient with the way he speaks. You know, it is hard to understand him,’ Heddens said of the meeting with her son, Paul, who was then 12 years old. Biden stayed in touch…And that’s the reason Heddens will wait untilBiden makes a decisionon whether he'll run before she makes a decision about who she'll support. State Senator Herman Quirmbach publicly endorsed Biden earlier this week, even though Biden has not yet announced his intention to run.

2. Scott Swartzwelder:

   So you might bump into the table and just brush it off.

3. The IAAF:

   I contacted them earlier this year about the case of some Russian walkers that were competing while they were banned. . Tallent wants drug cheats named and shamed, worrying that if they go unpunished, clean competitors could unfairly be tarred with the same brush.

4. Sarah Glendon:

   If they get close to that, I am fairly confident that authorities will brush the debt limit by the wayside.

5. Carly Fiorina:

   I think Hillary Clinton is equally as guilty, anyone who paints with a broad brush in those insulting terms is as guilty asDonaldTrump. It is ridiculousfor Hillary Clinton to say that the Republican Party is waging a war on women.

Popularity rank by frequency of use