flush

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Contents

English [edit]

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Pronunciation [edit]

Etymology 1 [edit]

Middle English flusshen

Verb [edit]

flush (third-person singular simple present flushes, present participle flushing, simple past and past participle flushed)

  1. (transitive) To cause to take flight from concealment.
    The hunters flushed the tiger from the canebrake.
  2. (intransitive) To take suddenly to flight, especially from cover.
    A covey of quail flushed from the undergrowth.
Translations [edit]
to cause to take flight from concealment
to take suddenly to flight, especially from cover

Etymology 2 [edit]

EB1911 - Volume 01 - Page 001 - 1.svg This entry lacks etymological information. If you are familiar with the origin of this term, please add it to the page as described here.
Particularly: “there are two etymologies, at least”

Adjective [edit]

flush (comparative flusher, superlative flushest)

  1. smooth, even, aligned; not sticking out.
    Sand down the excess until it is flush with the surface.
  2. wealthy or well off.
    He just got a bonus so he's flush today.
  3. (typography) Short for flush left and right; a body of text aligned with both its left and right margins.
Synonyms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
smooth, even, aligned; not sticking out
wealthy or well off

Noun [edit]

flush (plural flushes)

  1. A group of birds that have suddenly started up from undergrowth, trees etc.
    • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, V.2:
      As when a Faulcon hath with nimble flight / Flowne at a flush of Ducks foreby the brooke […].
  2. A cleansing with plenty of fluid.
  3. Particularly, such a cleansing of a toilet.
  4. (poker) A hand consisting of all cards with the same suit.
Derived terms [edit]
Terms derived from flush (noun)
Translations [edit]
cleansing
cleansing of a toilet
poker hand

Verb [edit]

flush (third-person singular simple present flushes, present participle flushing, simple past and past participle flushed)

  1. (transitive) To cleanse by flooding with generous quantities of a fluid.
    Flush the injury with plenty of water.
  2. (transitive) Particularly, to cleanse a toilet by introducing lots of water.
  3. (intransitive) To become suffused with reddish color due to embarrassment, excitement, overheating, or other systemic disturbance, to blush.
    The damsel flushed at the scoundrel's suggestion.
  4. (transitive) To cause to blush.
    • 1925, Fruit of the Flower, by Countee Cullen
      "Who plants a seed begets a bud, -- Extract of that same root; -- Why marvel at the hectic blood -- That flushes this wild fruit?"
  5. (transitive) To excite, inflame.
  6. (intransitive) (Toilets only) To be cleansed by being flooded with generous quantities of water.
  7. (intransitive) (Computer Science) To clear a buffer of its contents.
Usage notes [edit]

In sense “turn red with embarrassment”, blush is more common. More finely, in indicating the actual change, blush is more common – “He blushed with embarrassment” – but in indicating state, flushed is also common – “He was flushed with excitement”.

Synonyms [edit]
  • (turn red with embarrassment): blush
Translations [edit]
to cleanse by flooding with generous quantities of a fluid
to cleanse a toilet by introducing lots of water
to become suffused with reddish color
to be cleansed by being flooded with generous quantities of water

French [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From English

Noun [edit]

flush m (plural flushs)

  1. (poker) flush
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