: to make known or cause to appear with great speed
flash a message on the screen
b
: to display obtrusively and ostentatiously
always flashing a roll of bills
c
: to expose to view usually suddenly and briefly
flashed a badge
4
: to cover with or form into a thin layer: such as
a
: to protect against rain by covering with sheet metal or a substitute
b
: to coat (glass) with a thin layer (as of metal or a differently colored glass)
5
: to subject (an exposed photographic negative or positive) to a supplementary uniform exposure to light before development in order to modify detail or tone
6
: to expose one's breasts or genitals usually suddenly and briefly to
: by very brief exposure to an intense altering agent (such as heat or cold)
flash fry
flash freeze
Did you know?
The origin of the word flash is uncertain, although it rhymes with a number of other verbs that also mean forceful, often violent movement that may come to a quick end: dash, lash, crash, slash, clash, gash, bash, splash, smash. These words turn up in English over a fairly long period of time, from dash— the only word in the group with a likely foreign source—in the 14th century, to smash in the 18th century. The element -ash has thus provided a kind of model for new words. The initial fl – that is added to -ash to make flash is also heard in words meaning quick movement, as flee, fly, flicker, and flutter.
Verb Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. Cameras flashed as the celebrities passed. A car was sitting on the side of the road with its lights flashing. A message flashed on the screen. The screen flashed a message in black letters. Her eyes flashed with anger. Noun A brilliant flash lit up the sky. The idea for the movie came to her in a flash of inspiration. They relied on gimmicks and flash to get people's attention. a show with a lot of flash but little substance Adjectiveflash floods in the local areaSee More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
In order to get a good sample, Jia must flash-freeze proteins with liquid ethane so that they are suspended in a thin layer of ice. Laura Garcia, San Antonio Express-News, 7 Sep. 2022 The present-day Baltimore Orioles have flexed their creative muscles and integrated The Wire lore into their pre-closer routine, blaring Omar’s precautionary whistle as the stadium lights flash on and off. Khari Nixon, SPIN, 6 Sep. 2022 Recently, heavy rains have led to flash floods that fervently race through the streets of Nogales, Sonora, toppling cars and washing people away. José Ignacio Castañeda Perez, The Arizona Republic, 26 Aug. 2022 Street takeovers are a U.S. phenomenon where motorists arrive at a particular location in a coordinated manner similar to flash mobs, block streets with their vehicles and engage in stunts with their cars. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Aug. 2022 The service is free for those who flash a CharlieCard or CharlieTicket to conductors at stations in and around Boston. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Aug. 2022 One snapshot shows Paris, 24, and Prince, 25, holding hands while the two flash their smiles for the camera. Shafiq Najib, Peoplemag, 20 Aug. 2022 The product provides lower latency using internal DRAM cache with larger data space using NAND flash over a CXL interface. Tom Coughlin, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 Satellite lightning detection picked up what was likely a meteor trail or flash over Davis and Morgan counties in northern Utah around 8:31 a.m., the National Weather Service of Salt Lake City. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2022
Noun
There are risks for torrential downpours and flash flooding in the coming days for the canyon passes and roadways near cities like Murrieta and Escondido. Dominic Fracassa, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Sep. 2022 Tropical Storm Kay will bring heavy rain and flash flooding to Southern California and the Southwest through the weekend.Fox News, 9 Sep. 2022 This means residents will go from sweltering temperatures to excessive rainfall, which can cause quick rises in creeks and rivers and lead to flash flooding in Southern California and southwest Arizona. Nouran Salahieh, CNN, 8 Sep. 2022 Copious rainfall over the past few days has left a general two-to-eight-inch accumulation across the state and some flash flooding in the Greater New Haven area.Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2022 Thunderstorms, isolated showers and flash flooding are also forecast for the mountain and desert areas through Tuesday night.Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2022 Residents of the city of Summerville in Chattooga County were advised to boil water prior to drinking and cooking due to flash flooding at a local filter plant, according to the city's website. Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 5 Sep. 2022 Two rounds of heavy rain over 30 hours produced more than 5 inches of rain in northern Illinois and caused flash flooding. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022 Severe storms that brought damaging winds, heavy rains and flash flooding to parts of the Midwest and the South were blamed for the deaths of three people, including two children in Michigan and Arkansas as well as a woman in Ohio.CBS News, 30 Aug. 2022
Adjective
The preserve’s southern region is a study in the power of water, and the Lost Dog Wash Trail gives a tour of how flash floods and storm runoff have shaped the foothills of the McDowell Mountains range in the northeast Valley. Mare Czinar, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2022 Residents who live near the intersection where the accident occurred said the flash mobs of street takeovers have become weekly occurrences in their neighborhood. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2022 The preserve’s southern region is a study in the power of water, and the Lost Dog Wash Trail gives a tour of how flash floods and storm runoff have shaped the foothills of the McDowell Mountains range in the northeast Valley. Mare Czinar, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2022 The preserve’s southern region is a study in the power of water, and the Lost Dog Wash Trail gives a tour of how flash floods and storm runoff have shaped the foothills of the McDowell Mountains range in the northeast Valley. Mare Czinar, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2022 The preserve’s southern region is a study in the power of water, and the Lost Dog Wash Trail gives a tour of how flash floods and storm runoff have shaped the foothills of the McDowell Mountains range in the northeast Valley. Mare Czinar, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2022 The preserve’s southern region is a study in the power of water, and the Lost Dog Wash Trail gives a tour of how flash floods and storm runoff have shaped the foothills of the McDowell Mountains range in the northeast Valley. Mare Czinar, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2022 The preserve’s southern region is a study in the power of water, and the Lost Dog Wash Trail gives a tour of how flash floods and storm runoff have shaped the foothills of the McDowell Mountains range in the northeast Valley. Mare Czinar, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2022 The preserve’s southern region is a study in the power of water, and the Lost Dog Wash Trail gives a tour of how flash floods and storm runoff have shaped the foothills of the McDowell Mountains range in the northeast Valley. Mare Czinar, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2022 See More