Flash

10 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Flash \Flash\ (fl[a^]sh), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Flashed}
     (fl[a^]sht); p. pr. & vb. n. {Flashing}.] [Cf. OE. flaskien,
     vlaskien to pour, sprinkle, dial. Sw. flasa to blaze, E.
     flush, flare.]
     1. To burst or break forth with a sudden and transient flood
        of flame and light; as, the lighting flashes vividly; the


        powder flashed.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To break forth, as a sudden flood of light; to burst
        instantly and brightly on the sight; to show a momentary
        brilliancy; to come or pass like a flash.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Names which have flashed and thundered as the watch
              words of unnumbered struggles.        --Talfourd.
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              The object is made to flash upon the eye of the
              mind.                                 --M. Arnold.
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              A thought flashed through me, which I clothed in
              act.                                  --Tennyson.
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     3. To burst forth like a sudden flame; to break out
        violently; to rush hastily.
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              Every hour
              He flashes into one gross crime or other. --Shak.
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     {flash in the pan}, a failure or a poor performance,
        especially after a normal or auspicious start; also, a
        person whose initial performance appears augur success but
        who fails to achieve anything notable. From 4th {pan}, n.,
        sense 3 -- part of a flintlock. Occasionally, the powder
        in the pan of a flintlock would flash without conveying
        the fire to the charge, and the ball would fail to be
        discharged. Thus, a good or even spectacular beginning
        that eventually achieves little came to be called a flash
        in the pan.
  
     {To flash in the pan}, to fail of success, especially after a
        normal or auspicious start. [Colloq.] See under {Flash}, a
        burst of light. --Bartlett.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     Syn: {Flash}, {Glitter}, {Gleam}, {Glisten}, {Glister}.
  
     Usage: Flash differs from glitter and gleam, denoting a flood
            or wide extent of light. The latter words may express
            the issuing of light from a small object, or from a
            pencil of rays. Flash differs from other words, also,
            in denoting suddenness of appearance and
            disappearance. Flashing differs from exploding or
            disploding in not being accompanied with a loud
            report. To glisten, or glister, is to shine with a
            soft and fitful luster, as eyes suffused with tears,
            or flowers wet with dew.
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Flash \Flash\ (fl[a^]sh), v. t.
     1. To send out in flashes; to cause to burst forth with
        sudden flame or light.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The chariot of paternal Deity,
              Flashing thick flames.                --Milton.
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     2. To convey as by a flash; to light up, as by a sudden flame
        or light; as, to flash a message along the wires; to flash
        conviction on the mind.
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     3. (Glass Making) To cover with a thin layer, as objects of
        glass with glass of a different color. See {Flashing}, n.,
        3
        (b) .
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     4. To trick up in a showy manner.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Limning and flashing it with various dyes. --A.
                                                    Brewer.
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     5. [Perh. due to confusion between flash of light and plash,
        splash.] To strike and throw up large bodies of water from
        the surface; to splash. [Obs.]
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              He rudely flashed the waves about.    --Spenser.
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     {Flashed glass}. See {Flashing}, n., 3.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Flash \Flash\, n.; pl. {Flashes}.
     1. A sudden burst of light; a flood of light instantaneously
        appearing and disappearing; a momentary blaze; as, a flash
        of lightning.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A sudden and brilliant burst, as of wit or genius; a
        momentary brightness or show.
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              The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind. --Shak.
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              No striking sentiment, no flash of fancy. --Wirt.
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     3. The time during which a flash is visible; an instant; a
        very brief period; as, I'll be back in a flash.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
              The Persians and Macedonians had it for a flash.
                                                    --Bacon.
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     4. A preparation of capsicum, burnt sugar, etc., for coloring
        and giving a fictitious strength to liquors.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. A lamp for providing intense momentary light to take a
        photograph; as, to take a picture without a flash.
  
     Syn: flashbulb, photoflash, flash lamp, flashgun.
          [WordNet 1.5]
  
     6. Same as {flashlight}. [informal]
        [PJC]
  
     7. (Journalism) A short news item providing recently received
        and usually preliminary information about an event that is
        considered important enough to interrupt normal
        broadcasting or other news delivery services; also called
        a {news flash} or {bulletin}.
        [PJC]
  
     {Flash light}, or {Flashing light}, a kind of light shown by
        lighthouses, produced by the revolution of reflectors, so
        as to show a flash of light every few seconds, alternating
        with periods of dimness. --Knight.
  
     {Flash in the pan}, the flashing of the priming in the pan of
        a flintlock musket without discharging the piece; hence,
        sudden, spasmodic effort that accomplishes nothing.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Flash \Flash\, a.
     1. Showy, but counterfeit; cheap, pretentious, and vulgar;
        as, flash jewelry; flash finery.
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     2. Wearing showy, counterfeit ornaments; vulgarly
        pretentious; as, flash people; flash men or women; --
        applied especially to thieves, gamblers, and prostitutes
        that dress in a showy way and wear much cheap jewelry.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Flash house}, a house frequented by flash people, as thieves
        and whores; hence, a brothel. "A gang of footpads,
        reveling with their favorite beauties at a flash house."
        --Macaulay.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Flash \Flash\, n.
     Slang or cant of thieves and prostitutes.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Flash \Flash\, n. [OE. flasche, flaske; cf. OF. flache, F.
     flaque.]
     1. A pool. [Prov. Eng.] --Haliwell.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Engineering) 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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Flash wheel} (Mech.), a paddle wheel made to revolve in a
        breast or curved water way, by which water is lifted from
        the lower to the higher level.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  flash
       adj : tastelessly showy; "a flash car"; "a flashy ring"; "garish
             colors"; "a gaudy costume"; "loud sport shirts"; "a
             meretricious yet stylish book"; "tawdry ornaments"
             [syn: {brassy}, {cheap}, {flashy}, {garish}, {gaudy}, {gimcrack},
              {loud}, {meretricious}, {tacky}, {tatty}, {tawdry}, {trashy}]
       n 1: a sudden intense burst of radiant energy
       2: a momentary brightness
       3: a short vivid experience; "a flash of emotion swept over
          him"; "the flashings of pain were a warning" [syn: {flashing}]
       4: a sudden brilliant understanding; "he had a flash of
          intuition"
       5: a very short time (as the time it takes the eye blink or the
          heart to beat); "if I had the chance I'd do it in a flash"
          [syn: {blink of an eye}, {heartbeat}, {instant}, {jiffy},
          {split second}, {trice}, {twinkling}, {wink}, {New York
          minute}]
       6: a burst of light used to communicate or illuminate [syn: {flare}]
       7: a short news announcement concerning some on-going news
          story [syn: {news bulletin}, {newsflash}, {newsbreak}]
       8: 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"
       9: a lamp for providing momentary light to take a photograph
          [syn: {photoflash}, {flash lamp}, {flashgun}, {flashbulb},
           {flash bulb}]
       v 1: gleam or glow intermittently; "The lights were flashing"
            [syn: {blink}, {wink}, {twinkle}, {winkle}]
       2: appear briefly; "The headlines flashed on the screen"
       3: display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously; "he
          showed off his new sports car" [syn: {flaunt}, {show off},
           {ostentate}, {swank}]
       4: make known or cause to appear with great speed; "The latest
          intelligence is flashed to all command posts"
       5: run or move very quickly or hastily; "She dashed into the
          yard" [syn: {dart}, {dash}, {scoot}, {scud}, {shoot}]
       6: expose or show briefly; "he flashed a $100 bill"
       7: protect by covering with a thin sheet of metal; "flash the
          roof"
       8: emit a brief burst of light; "A shooting star flashed and
          was gone"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  268 Moby Thesaurus words for "flash":
     Teletype, advertise, air, antelope, arrow, automatic response,
     backfire, bang, be bright, beacon, beam, beat the drum, bedazzle,
     blare, blast, blaze, blaze of light, blazon forth, blind,
     blind impulse, blink, blowout, blowup, blue darter, blue streak,
     bob up, bolt, boom, brain wave, brainstorm, brandish, break forth,
     breath, breathing, bulletin, burn, burst, burst forth, burst out,
     cable, cannonball, cast, chic, classy, coruscate, coruscation,
     coup, courser, crack, dangle, dart, dash, daze, dazzle, dazzling,
     debouch, deflagration, demonstrate, detonation, diffuse light, dip,
     discharge, display, disport, drive, eagle, electricity, emblazon,
     erupt, exchange colors, exhibit, exhibition, explosion, expose,
     express train, facula, fancy, flag, flag down, flame, flare,
     flare up, flare-up, flash fire, flashy, flaunt, fleeting impulse,
     flick, flicker, flickering, flourish, fly, fulgurate, fulguration,
     fulmination, gazelle, give a signal, give light, give the nod,
     glance, glare, gleam, gleam of light, glimmer, glimpse, glint,
     glisten, glitter, glow, greased lightning, greyhound, gut response,
     hail, hail and speak, half a jiffy, half a mo, half a second,
     half a shake, half an eye, half-mast, hare, hasten, hint,
     hoist a banner, hold up, hurry, iffy, impulse, incandesce,
     indication, inspiration, instant, instinct, involuntary impulse,
     irrupt, jet plane, jiff, jiffy, kick, leer, light, lightning,
     luster, make a sign, manifest, manifestation, mercury, microsecond,
     millisecond, minute, moment, natural impulse, news report, nod,
     notion, nudge, ostentatious, outbreak, outburst, parade, peek,
     peep, poke, pop up, put forth, put forward, quick hunch,
     quick sight, quicksilver, quiver, race, radiate, radio,
     raise a cry, rapid glance, ray, reflex, report, ritzy, rocket, run,
     rush, salute, scamper, scared rabbit, scintilla, scintillate,
     scintillation, scoot, scuttle, sec, second, send a wire,
     send out rays, shaft, shake, shimmer, shine, shine brightly, shoot,
     shoot out rays, shot, show, show off, showy, sign, sign off,
     sign on, signal, signalize, skedaddle, slant, smart, snazzy,
     solar flare, solar prominence, sound an alarm, sound the trumpet,
     spangle, spark, sparkle, speak, speed, split second, sport,
     spring up, sprint, squiz, start up, streak, streak of lightning,
     striped snake, stroke, sudden thought, suggestion, swallow, swish,
     take off, tear, telegram, telegraph, telex, thought, thunderbolt,
     tick, torrent, touch, trice, trot out, trumpet, trumpet forth,
     twink, twinkle, twinkling, twitch, two shakes, unfurl a flag, urge,
     vaunt, wave, wave a flag, wave the hand, whistle, whiz, wind, wink,
     wire, zoom
  
  

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  Flash
       
           (Or "Shockwave Flash") A file
          format for delivering {interactive} {vector graphics} and
          animation on the {World-Wide Web}, developed by {Macromedia}.
       
          {Home (http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/)}.
       
          (1998-07-07)
       
       

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  flash
       
          1.  A program which allows one to flood another {Unix}
          user's {terminal} with {garbage}, through exploiting a common
          security hole in the victim's {host}'s {talk} {daemon}.  Users
          with "messages off" (mesg n) and users on systems running
          fixed talk daemons, or not running talk daemons at all, are
          immune.
       
          (1996-09-08)
       
          2. See {Flash Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory}.
       
          (1997-02-02)