flash

flash  (flsh)

v. flashed, flash·ing, flash·es

v.intr.

1. To burst forth into or as if into flame.

2. To give off light or be lighted in sudden or intermittent bursts.

3. To appear or occur suddenly: The image flashed onto the screen.

4. To move or proceed rapidly: The cars flashed by.

5. To hang up a phone line momentarily, as when using call waiting.

6. Slang To think of or remember something suddenly: flashed on that time we got caught in the storm.

7. Slang To expose oneself in an indecent manner.

v.tr.

1.

a. To cause (light) to appear suddenly or in intermittent bursts.

b. To cause to burst into flame.

c. To reflect (light).

d. To cause to reflect light from (a surface).

2. To make known or signal by flashing lights.

3. To communicate or display at great speed: flashed the news to the world capitals.

4. To exhibit briefly.

5. To hang up (a phone line) momentarily, as when using call waiting.

6. To display ostentatiously; flaunt.

7. To fill suddenly with water.

8. To cover with a thin protective layer.

n.

1. A sudden, brief, intense display of light.

2. A sudden perception: a flash of insight.

3. A split second; an instant: I'll be on my way in a flash.

4. A brief news dispatch or transmission.

5. Slang Gaudy or ostentatious display: "The antique flash and trash of an older southern California have given way to a sleeker age of cultural hip" Newsweek.

6. A flashlight.

7.

a. Instantaneous illumination for photography: photograph by flash.

b. A device, such as a flashbulb, flashgun, or flash lamp, used to produce such illumination.

8. Slang The pleasurable sensation that accompanies the use of a drug; a rush.

9. Obsolete The language or cant of thieves, tramps, or underworld figures.

adj.

1. Happening suddenly or very quickly: flash freezing.

2. Slang Ostentatious; showy: a flash car.

3. Of or relating to figures of quarterly economic growth released by the government and subject to later revision.

4. Of or relating to photography using instantaneous illumination.

5. Of or relating to thieves, swindlers, and underworld figures.

Idiom:

flash in the pan

One that promises great success but fails.

---

[Middle English flashen, to splash, variant of flasken, of imitative origin.]

Synonyms: flash, gleam, glance¹, glint, sparkle, glitter, glisten, shimmer, glimmer, twinkle, scintillate
These verbs mean to send forth light. Flash refers to a sudden and brilliant but short-lived outburst of light: A bolt of lightning flashed across the horizon.
Gleam implies transient or constant light that often appears against a dark background: "The light gleams an instant, then it's night once more" Samuel Beckett.
Glance refers most often to light reflected obliquely: Moonlight glanced off the windows of the darkened building.
Glint applies to briefly gleaming or flashing light: Rays of sun glinted among the autumn leaves.
Sparkle suggests a rapid succession of little flashes of high brilliance (crystal glasses sparkling in the candlelight), and glitter, a similar succession of even greater intensity (jewels glittering in the display case). To glisten is to shine with a sparkling luster: The snow glistened in the dawn light.
Shimmer means to shine with a soft, tremulous light: "Everything about her shimmered and glimmered softly, as if her dress had been woven out of candle-beams" Edith Wharton.
Glimmer refers to faint, fleeting light: "On the French coast, the light/Gleams, and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,/Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay" Matthew Arnold.
To twinkle is to shine with quick, intermittent flashes or gleams: "a few stars, twinkling faintly in the deep blue of the night sky" Hugh Walpole.
Scintillate is applied to what flashes as if emitting sparks in a continuous stream: "ammonium chloride . . . depositing minute scintillating crystals on the windowpanes" Primo Levi. See Also Synonyms at moment.

---

flash

Noun

1. a sudden short blaze of intense light or flame

2. a sudden occurrence of a particular emotion or experience: a flash of anger

3. a very brief time: in a flash he was inside and locked the door behind him

4. a short unscheduled news announcement

5. Brit & Austral an emblem on a uniform or vehicle to identify its military formation

6. Photog short for flashlight

7. flash in the pan a project, person, etc., that enjoys only short-lived success

Adjective

1. Informal ostentatious or vulgar

2. brief and rapid: a flash fire

Verb

1. to burst or cause to burst suddenly into flame

2. to shine with a bright light suddenly or repeatedly

3. to move very fast

4. to come rapidly (into the mind or vision)

5.

a. to signal very fast: a warning was flashed onto a computer screen in the cockpit

b. to signal by use of a light, such as car headlights

6. Informal to display in a boastful and extravagant way: flashing banknotes around

7. Informal to show briefly

8. Brit slang to expose oneself indecently [origin unknown]

flasher n

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	flash - a sudden intense burst of radiant energy happening, natural event, occurrence, occurrent - an event that happens flicker, glint, spark - a momentary flash of light gleaming, glimmer, gleam - a flash of light (especially reflected light) coruscation, glitter, sparkle - the occurrence of a small flash or spark heat flash - a flash of intense heat (as released by an atomic explosion) 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 streak - a sudden flash (as of lightning)
	2.	flash - a momentary brightness brightness - the location of a visual perception along a continuum from black to white
	3.	flash - a short vivid experience; "a flash of emotion swept over him"; "the flashings of pain were a warning" flashing experience - an event as apprehended; "a surprising experience"; "that painful experience certainly got our attention"
	4.	flash - a sudden brilliant understanding; "he had a flash of intuition" brainstorm, brainwave, insight - the clear (and often sudden) understanding of a complex situation
	5.	flash - 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" instant, jiffy, New York minute, split second, trice, twinkling, wink, blink of an eye, heartbeat mo, moment, second, minute, bit - an indefinitely short time; "wait just a moment"; "in a mo"; "it only takes a minute"; "in just a bit"
	6.	flash - a gaudy outward display fanfare, ostentation display - exhibiting openly in public view; "a display of courage" bravado, bluster - a swaggering show of courage exhibitionism - extravagant and conspicuous behavior intended to attract attention to yourself ritz - ostentatious display of elegance; "they put on the ritz" splurge - an ostentatious display (of effort or extravagance etc.) pedantry - an ostentatious and inappropriate display of learning
	7.	flash - a burst of light used to communicate or illuminate flare visual signal - a signal that involves visual communication 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
	8.	flash - a short news announcement concerning some on-going news story news bulletin, newsbreak, newsflash bulletin - a brief report (especially an official statement issued for immediate publication or broadcast)
	9.	flash - 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" patch - a piece of cloth used as decoration or to mend or cover a hole
	10.	flash - a lamp for providing momentary light to take a photograph flash bulb, flash lamp, flashbulb, flashgun, photoflash flash camera - a camera with a photoflash attachment lamp - an artificial source of visible illumination photographic equipment - equipment used by a photographer
Verb	1.	flash - gleam or glow intermittently; "The lights were flashing" twinkle, wink, winkle, blink flick, flicker - flash intermittently; "The lights flicked on and off" radiate - cause to be seen by emitting light as if in rays; "The sun is radiating"
	2.	flash - appear briefly; "The headlines flashed on the screen" appear - come into sight or view; "He suddenly appeared at the wedding"; "A new star appeared on the horizon"
	3.	flash - display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously; "he showed off his new sports car" flaunt, ostentate, show off, swank display, exhibit, expose - to show, make visible or apparent; "The Metropolitan Museum is exhibiting Goya's works this month"; "Why don't you show your nice legs and wear shorter skirts?"; "National leaders will have to display the highest skills of statesmanship" flex - exhibit the strength of; "The victorious army flexes its invincibility" splurge - be showy or ostentatious
	4.	flash - make known or cause to appear with great speed; "The latest intelligence is flashed to all command posts" convey - make known; pass on, of information; "She conveyed the message to me"
	5.	flash - run or move very quickly or hastily; "She dashed into the yard" dash, scoot, scud, dart, shoot plunge - dash violently or with great speed or impetuosity; "She plunged at it eagerly" shoot down, tear, buck, charge, shoot - move quickly and violently; "The car tore down the street"; "He came charging into my office" hie, hotfoot, pelt along, race, rush, rush along, speed, step on it, belt along, bucket along, cannonball along, hasten - move fast; "He rushed down the hall to receive his guests"; "The cars raced down the street" cut back, flash back - return in time; "the film cut back to an earlier event in the story"
	6.	flash - expose or show briefly; "he flashed a $100 bill" show - make visible or noticeable; "She showed her talent for cooking"; "Show me your etchings, please"
	7.	flash - protect by covering with a thin sheet of metal; "flash the roof" cover - provide with a covering or cause to be covered; "cover her face with a handkerchief"; "cover the child with a blanket"; "cover the grave with flowers"
	8.	flash - emit a brief burst of light; "A shooting star flashed and was gone" appear - come into sight or view; "He suddenly appeared at the wedding"; "A new star appeared on the horizon"
Adj.	1.	flash - tastelessly showy; "a flash car"; "a flashy ring"; "garish colors"; "a gaudy costume"; "loud sport shirts"; "a meretricious yet stylish book"; "tawdry ornaments" flashy, garish, gaudy, gimcrack, tawdry, trashy, brassy, cheap, loud, meretricious, tacky, tatty tasteless - lacking aesthetic or social taste

---

flash

noun 1. blaze, ray, burst, spark, beam, sparkle, streak, flare, dazzle, shaft, glare, gleam, flicker, shimmer, twinkle, scintillation, coruscation

noun 2. burst, show, sign, touch, display, rush, demonstration, surge, outbreak, outburst, manifestation

verb 3. blaze, shine, beam, sparkle, glitter, flare, glare, gleam, light up, flicker, shimmer, twinkle, glint, glisten, scintillate, coruscate

verb 4. speed, race, shoot, fly, tear, sweep, dash, barrel (along) (informal), chiefly U.S., Canad. whistle, sprint, bolt, streak, dart, zoom, burn rubber (informal)

verb 5. (Informal) show quickly, display, expose, exhibit, flourish, show off, flaunt

adjective 6. (Informal) ostentatious, smart, glamorous, trendy, showy, cheap in a flash moment, second, instant, split second, trice, jiffy (informal) the twinkling of an eye, a twinkling, two shakes of a lamb's tail (informal) the bat of an eye (informal)

Translations

flash [flæʃ] n → relámpago;

(also: news flash) → noticias fpl de última hora;

(PHOT) → flash m;

(US) (= torch); linterna

vt [+ light, headlights] → lanzar destellos con [+ torch]; encender

vi → destellar;

in a flash → en un santiamén;

flash of inspiration → ráfaga de inspiración;

to flash sth about (fig, col) (= flaunt); ostentar algo, presumir con algo;

he flashed by or past → pasó como un rayo

---

flash [flæʃ] n → éclair m;

(also: news flash) → flash m (d'information);

(Phot) → flash

vt (= switch on) → allumer (brièvement) (= direct);

to flash sth at → braquer qch sur (= flaunt); étaler, exhiber (= send) [+ message] → câbler [+ smile]; lancer vi → briller; jeter des éclairs; [light on ambulance etc] → clignoter;

a flash of lightning → un éclair;

in a flash → en un clin d'œil;

to flash one's headlights → faire un appel de phares;

he flashed by or past → il passa (devant nous) comme un éclair

---

flash [flæʃ] n → Aufblinken nt;

(also: newsflash) → Eilmeldung f;

(Phot) → Blitz m, Blitzlicht nt;

(US) (torch) → Taschenlampe f

vt → aufleuchten lassen;

(news, message) → durchgeben;

(look, smile) → zuwerfen

vi → aufblinken;

(light on ambulance) → blinken;

(eyes) → blitzen;

in a flash → im Nu;

quick as a flash → blitzschnell;

flash of inspiration → Geistesblitz m;

to flash one's headlights → die Lichthupe betätigen;

the thought flashed through his mind → der Gedanke schoss ihm durch den Kopf;

to flash by or past → vorbeiflitzen (inf)

---

flash [flæʃ] n → vampata;

(also: news flash) → notizia f lampo inv;

(PHOT) → flash m inv;

(US) (= torch); torcia elettrica, lampadina tascabile

vt → accendere e spegnere (= send) [+ message] → trasmettere (= flaunt); ostentare

vi → brillare; [light on ambulance, eyes etc] → lampeggiare;

in a flash → in un lampo;

flash of inspiration → lampo di genio;

to flash one's headlights → lampeggiare;

he flashed by or past → ci passò davanti come un lampo