flash (fl sh)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 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
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. |  flash - a sudden intense burst of radiant energyheat 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 brightnessbrightness - 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"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" | | 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"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 displaydisplay - exhibiting openly in public view; "a display 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 illuminatestar shell - an artillery shell containing an illuminant Bengal light - a steady bright blue light; formerly used as a signal but now a firework | | 8. |  flash - a short news announcement concerning some on-going news storybulletin - 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 photographlamp - an artificial source of visible illumination | | Verb | 1. |  flash - gleam or glow intermittently; "The lights were flashing"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"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" | | 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"plunge - dash violently or with great speed or impetuosity; "She plunged at it eagerly" 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) 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; he flashed by or past → pasó como un rayo
 flash [flæʃ] n → éclair m; (also: news flash) → flash m (d'information); vt (= switch on) → allumer (brièvement) (= direct); 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; vi → aufblinken; in a flash → im Nu; to flash by or past → vorbeiflitzen (inf)
 flash [flæʃ] n → vampata; (also: news flash) → notizia f lampo inv; in a flash → in un lampo;
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proximal-gingival flash