| Library / English Dictionary |
FLASH
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A lamp for providing momentary light to take a photograph
Synonyms:
flash; flash bulb; flash lamp; flashbulb; flashgun; photoflash
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("flash" is a kind of...):
lamp (an artificial source of visible illumination)
photographic equipment (equipment used by a photographer)
Holonyms ("flash" is a part of...):
flash camera (a camera with a photoflash attachment)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A bright patch of color used for decoration or identification
Example:
a flash sewn on his sleeve indicated the unit he belonged to
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("flash" is a kind of...):
patch (a piece of cloth used as decoration or to mend or cover a hole)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A momentary brightness
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("flash" is a kind of...):
brightness (the location of a visual perception along a continuum from black to white)
Derivation:
flash (emit a brief burst of light)
flash (gleam or glow intermittently)
Sense 4
Meaning:
A sudden brilliant understanding
Example:
he had a flash of intuition
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("flash" is a kind of...):
brainstorm; brainwave; insight (the clear (and often sudden) understanding of a complex situation)
Sense 5
Meaning:
A short news announcement concerning some on-going news story
Synonyms:
flash; news bulletin; newsbreak; newsflash
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("flash" is a kind of...):
bulletin (a brief report (especially an official statement issued for immediate publication or broadcast))
Derivation:
flash (appear briefly)
flash (make known or cause to appear with great speed)
Sense 6
Meaning:
A burst of light used to communicate or illuminate
Synonyms:
flare; flash
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("flash" is a kind of...):
visual signal (a signal that involves visual communication)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "flash"):
star shell (an artillery shell containing an illuminant)
Bengal light (a steady bright blue light; formerly used as a signal but now a firework)
Very-light; Very light (a colored flare fired from a Very pistol)
Sense 7
Meaning:
A gaudy outward display
Synonyms:
fanfare; flash; ostentation
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("flash" is a kind of...):
display (exhibiting openly in public view)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "flash"):
bluster; bravado (a swaggering show of courage)
exhibitionism (extravagant and conspicuous behavior intended to attract attention to yourself)
ritz (ostentatious display of elegance)
splurge (an ostentatious display (of effort or extravagance etc.))
pedantry (an ostentatious and inappropriate display of learning)
Derivation:
flash (tastelessly showy)
flashy ((used especially of clothes) marked by conspicuous display)
Sense 8
Meaning:
A short vivid experience
Example:
the flashings of pain were a warning
Synonyms:
flash; flashing
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("flash" is a kind of...):
experience (an event as apprehended)
Derivation:
flash (appear briefly)
Sense 9
Meaning:
A sudden intense burst of radiant energy
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural events
Hypernyms ("flash" is a kind of...):
happening; natural event; occurrence; occurrent (an event that happens)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "flash"):
streak (a sudden flash (as of lightning))
lightning (the flash of light that accompanies an electric discharge in the atmosphere (or something resembling such a flash); can scintillate for a second or more)
heat flash (a flash of intense heat (as released by an atomic explosion))
coruscation; glitter; sparkle (the occurrence of a small flash or spark)
gleam; gleaming; glimmer (a flash of light (especially reflected light))
flicker; glint; spark (a momentary flash of light)
Derivation:
flash (emit a brief burst of light)
Sense 10
Meaning:
A very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
Example:
if I had the chance I'd do it in a flash
Synonyms:
blink of an eye; flash; heartbeat; instant; jiffy; New York minute; split second; trice; twinkling; wink
Classified under:
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations
Hypernyms ("flash" is a kind of...):
bit; minute; mo; moment; second (an indefinitely short time)
Derivation:
flash (expose or show briefly)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Tastelessly showy
Example:
tawdry ornaments
Synonyms:
brassy; cheap; flash; flashy; garish; gaudy; gimcrack; loud; meretricious; tacky; tatty; tawdry; trashy
Classified under:
Similar:
tasteless (lacking aesthetic or social taste)
Derivation:
flash (a gaudy outward display)
III. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they flash ... he / she / it flashes
Past simple: flashed
Past participle: flashed
-ing form: flashing
Sense 1
Meaning:
Appear briefly
Example:
The headlines flashed on the screen
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "flash" is one way to...):
appear (come into sight or view)
Sentence frames:
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP
Derivation:
flashing; flash (a short vivid experience)
flash (a short news announcement concerning some on-going news story)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Emit a brief burst of light
Example:
A shooting star flashed and was gone
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "flash" is one way to...):
appear (come into sight or view)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s
Derivation:
flash (a momentary brightness)
flash (a sudden intense burst of radiant energy)
flasher (a light that flashes on and off; used as a signal or to send messages)
flasher (an electrical device that automatically turns a lamp on and off (as for an advertising display))
Sense 3
Meaning:
Make known or cause to appear with great speed
Example:
The latest intelligence is flashed to all command posts
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Hypernyms (to "flash" is one way to...):
convey ((of information) make known; pass on)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Derivation:
flash (a short news announcement concerning some on-going news story)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Protect by covering with a thin sheet of metal
Example:
flash the roof
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Hypernyms (to "flash" is one way to...):
cover (provide with a covering or cause to be covered)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Sense 5
Meaning:
Run or move very quickly or hastily
Example:
She dashed into the yard
Synonyms:
dart; dash; flash; scoot; scud; shoot
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Hypernyms (to "flash" is one way to...):
belt along; bucket along; cannonball along; hasten; hie; hotfoot; pelt along; race; rush; rush along; speed; step on it (move hurridly)
Verb group:
buck; charge; shoot; shoot down; tear (move quickly and violently)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "flash"):
plunge (dash violently or with great speed or impetuosity)
Sentence frames:
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP
Also:
flash back (return in time)
Sense 6
Meaning:
Expose or show briefly
Example:
he flashed a $100 bill
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Hypernyms (to "flash" is one way to...):
show (make visible or noticeable)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Derivation:
flash (a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat))
flasher (someone with a compulsive desire to expose the genitals)
Sense 7
Meaning:
Display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously
Example:
he showed off his new sports car
Synonyms:
flash; flaunt; ostentate; show off; swank
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Hypernyms (to "flash" is one way to...):
display; exhibit; expose (to show, make visible or apparent)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "flash"):
flex (exhibit the strength of)
splurge (be showy or ostentatious)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Sense 8
Meaning:
Gleam or glow intermittently
Example:
The lights were flashing
Synonyms:
blink; flash; twinkle; wink; winkle
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Hypernyms (to "flash" is one way to...):
radiate (cause to be seen by emitting light as if in rays)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "flash"):
flick; flicker (flash intermittently)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Sentence examples:
Lights flash on the horizon
The horizon is flashing with lights
Derivation:
flash (a momentary brightness)
flasher (a light that flashes on and off; used as a signal or to send messages)
Context examples:
The smell of hot metal remained to assure us that the light was still there, ready to flash out at a moment’s notice.
(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Up and down went the long, shining blades, round and round they circled in curves of glimmering light, crossing, meeting, disengaging, with flash of sparks at every parry.
(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
What he sought was evidently not there, for again we saw the flash through another blind, and then through another.
(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
See an eye care professional right away if you have a sudden change in vision, if everything looks dim, or if you see flashes of light.
(Eye Diseases, NIH: National Eye Institute)
The perception of sudden or brief bursts (flashes) of light.
(Flasher, NCI Thesaurus)
And then suddenly, after a week of helpless suspense there came a flash of light.
(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
A flash of odious joy appeared upon the woman’s face.
(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)
But just then—crack! crack! crack!—three musket-shots flashed out of the thicket.
(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)
A tool designed to measure the impact of hot flashes on overall quality of life as well as nine specific activities using a 10 point Likert scale.
(Hot Flash Related Daily Inference Scale, NCI Thesaurus)
Soy isoflavones are being studied in the prevention of cancer, hot flashes that occur with menopause, and osteoporosis (loss of bone density).
(Isoflavone, NCI Dictionary)
