Meaning of brush in English

Table of contents

Verb
brush
Definitions
1. rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
Examples
- « Johnson brushed the hairs from his jacket »
2. touch lightly and briefly
Examples
- « He brushed the wall lightly »
Derived terms
- light touch
3. clean with a brush
Examples
- « She brushed the suit before hanging it back into the closet »
4. sweep across or over
Examples
- « Her long skirt brushed the floor »
- « A gasp swept cross the audience »
Derived terms
- sweep
5. remove with or as if with a brush
Examples
- « brush away the crumbs »
- « brush the dust from the jacket »
- « brush aside the objections »
6. cover by brushing
Examples
- « brush the bread with melted butter »
Noun
brush
Etymology
Middle English: noun from Old French broisse; verb partly from Old French brosser‘to sweep’
Definitions
1. a dense growth of bushes
2. an implement that has hairs or bristles firmly set into a handle
3. momentary contact
4. conducts current between rotating and stationary parts of a generator or motor
5. a minor short-term fight
Derived terms
6. the act of brushing your teeth
Examples
- « the dentist recommended two brushes a day »
7. the act of brushing your hair
Examples
- « he gave his hair a quick brush »
8. contact with something dangerous or undesirable
Examples
- « I had a brush with danger on my way to work »
- « he tried to avoid any brushes with the police »

Famous quotes

« Start with a clean grill. Keep it clean by brushing with a wire brush after preheating, and again after cooking. Make sure to oil your grates and your food before putting it on the grill to keep it from sticking. »
Emeril Lagasse
« Suddenly a single shot on the extreme left rang out on the clear morning air, followed quickly by several others, and the whole line pushed rapidly forward through the brush. »
John Gibbon
« We say no to lots of things that would please us. I would like to punch people every now and then, but I don't. I would like to have something for free rather than pay for it. I would like to skip to the front of the line... I don't mean to brush aside the taste of meat, which is a powerful attraction. But its power is not without limit. »
Jonathan Safran Foer
« Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. »
Henry Ward Beecher
« My desire is to stand up and brush myself off when I make mistakes and ask for forgiveness. »
Janine Turner