flash

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To cause to shine briefly or intermittently.
2. (intransitive) To blink; to shine or illuminate intermittently.
3. (intransitive) To be visible briefly.
4. (transitive) To make visible briefly.
5. (ambitransitive, informal) To expose one's intimate body part or undergarment, often momentarily and unintentionally. (Contrast streak.)
6. (figuratively) To break forth like a sudden flood of light; to show a momentary brilliance.
7. To flaunt; to display in a showy manner.
8. To communicate quickly.
9. To move, or cause to move, suddenly.
10. (transitive) To telephone a person, only allowing the phone to ring once, in order to request a call back.
11. (intransitive) To evaporate suddenly. (See flash evaporation.)
12. (transitive) To climb (a route) successfully on the first attempt.
13. (transitive) To write to the memory of (an updatable component such as a BIOS chip or games cartridge).
14. (transitive) To cover with a thin layer, as objects of glass with glass of a different colour.
15. (transitive) To expand (blown glass) into a disc.
16. (transitive) To send by some startling or sudden means.
17. (intransitive) To burst out into violence.
18. To perform a flash.
19. To release the pressure from a pressurized vessel.
20. (obsolete, transitive) To trick up in a showy manner.
21. (obsolete, transitive) To strike and throw up large bodies of water from the surface; to splash.
22. To flash back.

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A sudden, short, temporary burst of light.
2. (countable, uncountable) A very short amount of time.
3. (US, colloquial, countable, uncountable) A flashlight; an electric torch.
4. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) A sudden and brilliant burst, as of genius or wit.
5. (figuratively, uncountable) Pizzazz, razzle-dazzle.
6. (countable, uncountable) Material left around the edge of a moulded part at the parting line of the mould.
7. (British, Cockney, countable, uncountable) The strips of bright cloth or buttons worn around the collars of market traders.
8. (countable, uncountable) A pattern where each prop is thrown and caught only once.
9. (countable, uncountable) A language, created by a minority to maintain cultural identity, that cannot be understood by the ruling class.
10. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountable) Clipping of camera flash (“a device used to produce a flash of artificial light to help illuminate a scene”).
11. (archaic, countable, uncountable) A preparation of capsicum, burnt sugar, etc., for colouring liquor to make it look stronger.
12. (countable, uncountable) A form of military insignia.
13. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, uncountable) Clipping of flash memory.
14. (countable, uncountable) Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genera Artipe, Deudorix and Rapala.
15. (countable, uncountable) A tattoo flash (example design on paper to give an idea of a possible tattoo).
16. (countable, uncountable) The sudden sensation of being "high" after taking a recreational drug.
17. (countable, uncountable) Synonym of flashback (“recurrence of the effects of a hallucinogenic drug”).
18. (countable, dated, uncountable) A newsflash.
19. (countable, uncountable) A brief exposure or making visible (of a smile, badge, etc).
20. (countable, uncountable) The (intentional or unintentional) exposure of an intimate body part or undergarment in public.
21. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable) Ellipsis of hook flash.

Adj

1. (Australia, British, New-Zealand, slang) Expensive-looking and demanding attention; stylish; showy.
2. (UK) Having plenty of ready money.
3. (UK) Liable to show off expensive possessions or money.
4. (US, slang) Occurring very rapidly, almost instantaneously.
5. (obsolete, slang) Relating to thieves and vagabonds.

Noun

1. A pool of water, in some areas especially one that is marshy, and/or one formed by subsidence of the ground due to mining. (Compare flush (“marsh; pool”).)
2. 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.

Opposite of

aeon, spell, jiffy, moment, never in a month of Sundays

Synonyms

gleam

sparkle

❇️

shine

twinkle

flare

flicker

glitter

lightning

glint

glimmer

wink

😉

glisten

spark

blink

shimmer

glow

beam

light

blaze

glare

burr

bolt

flashing

display

dash

💨

instant

lighten

flaunt

swank

scintillate

show off

dart

🎯

ostentation

jiffy

brassy

thunderbolt

cheap

ostentate

gaudy

glance

shoot

flashgun

photoflash

ray

scoot

moment

newsflash

fanfare

tawdry

winkle

Translations

flash

lampeggiare

blitzen

Blitz

lampo

relampaguear

éclair

destello

flash

briller

balenare

centellear

baleno

blinken

brillare

Pronounced as (IPA)

/flæʃ/

Etymology

Cognate with Icelandic: flasa

Inherited from Middle English: flasche

Cognate with Old French: flache

Cognate with French: flaque

Cognate with Middle Dutch: vlacke

In summary

In some senses, from Middle English flasshen, a variant of flasken, flaskien (“to sprinkle, splash”), which was likely of imitative origin; in other senses probably of North Germanic origin akin to Swedish dialectal flasa (“to burn brightly, blaze”), related to flare. Compare also Icelandic flasa (“to rush, go hastily”).

Sentences

Then the thing came upon him in a flash .

No doubt the impact had caused a flash of fire .