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Flush

//ˈflʌʃ// adj, adv, noun, verb

Definitions

Adjective

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
Ellipsis of flush left and right: a body of text aligned with both its left and right margins. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
4
Full of vigor; fresh; glowing; bright.
"With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May."
5
Affluent; abounding; well furnished or supplied; hence, liberal; prodigal.
"[H]e vvas not fluſh in Ready [i.e., ready money], either to go to Lavv or clear old Debts, neither could he find good Bail: […]"

Adjective

1
of a surface exactly even with an adjoining one, forming the same plane wordnet
2
having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value wordnet

Adverb

1
Suddenly and completely. not-comparable
"I landed flush on the couch."

Adverb

1
squarely or solidly wordnet
2
in the same plane wordnet

Noun

1
A group of birds that have suddenly started up from undergrowth, trees, etc.
"As when a Faulcon hath with nimble flight / Flowne at a flush of Ducks foreby the brooke […]."
2
A sudden flowing; a rush which fills or overflows, as of water for cleansing purposes. countable, uncountable
"in manner of a wave or flush"
3
A groundwater-fed marsh or peaty mire (which may be acidic or basic, nutrient-rich or poor); (originally especially Scotland and Northern England) a (marshy) pool or seep, as in a field.
"For this point onwards the land slopes gently until it becomes quite low lying, that is, tends to become a "flush" or bog."
4
A hand consisting of all cards with the same suit.
5
sudden reddening of the face (as from embarrassment or guilt or shame or modesty) wordnet

Show 12 more definitions

6
Particularly, such a cleansing of a toilet. countable, uncountable
7
a sudden rapid flow (as of water) wordnet
8
The process of clearing the contents of a buffer or cache. countable, uncountable
9
the swift release of a store of affective force wordnet
10
A suffusion of the face with blood, as from fear, shame, modesty, or intensity of feeling of any kind; a blush; a glow. countable, uncountable
"When I would kiss thy hand, / The flush of anger'd shame / O'erflows thy calmer glances, / And o'er black brows drops down / A sudden-curved frown: […]"
11
a poker hand with all 5 cards in the same suit wordnet
12
Any tinge of red color like that produced on the cheeks by a sudden rush of blood. countable, uncountable
"the flush on the side of a peach; the flush on the clouds at sunset"
13
a rosy color (especially in the cheeks) taken as a sign of good health wordnet
14
A sudden flood or rush of feeling; a thrill of excitement, animation, etc. countable, uncountable
"a flush of joy"
15
sudden brief sensation of heat (associated with menopause and some mental disorders) wordnet
16
A line of poles or obstacles that a skier must weave between. countable, uncountable
17
the period of greatest prosperity or productivity wordnet

Verb

1
To cause to take flight from concealment. transitive
"The dogs flushed the deer from the woods."
2
To cleanse by flooding with generous quantities of a fluid. transitive
"Flush the injury with plenty of water."
3
turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame wordnet
4
To take suddenly to flight, especially from cover. intransitive
"A covey of quail flushed from the undergrowth."
5
Particularly, to cleanse a toilet by introducing a large amount of water. transitive

Show 20 more definitions

6
cause to flow or flood with or as if with water wordnet
7
To become suffused with reddish color due to embarrassment, excitement, overheating, or other systemic disturbance, to blush. intransitive
"The damsel flushed at the scoundrel's suggestion."
8
cause to flow through something wordnet
9
To cause to blush. transitive
"Nor flush with shame the passing virgin's cheek."
10
irrigate with water from a sluice wordnet
11
To cause to be full; to flood; to overflow; to overwhelm with water.
"to flush the meadows"
12
rinse, clean, or empty with a liquid wordnet
13
To excite, inflame. transitive
"such things as can only feed his pride and flush his ambition"
14
make level or straight wordnet
15
To be cleansed by being flooded with generous quantities of water. intransitive
"There must be somebody home: I just heard the toilet flushing."
16
glow or cause to glow with warm color or light wordnet
17
To clear (a buffer or cache) of its contents. transitive
18
To write (the data) to primary storage, clearing it from the buffer or cache. transitive
"flush to disk"
19
To flow and spread suddenly; to rush.
"Blood flushes into the face."
20
To show red; to shine suddenly; to glow.
"In her cheek, distemper flushing glowed."
21
To fill in (joints); to point the level; to make them flush.
22
To operate a placer mine, where the continuous supply of water is insufficient, by holding back the water, and releasing it periodically in a flood. intransitive
23
To fill underground spaces, especially in coal mines, with material carried by water, which, after drainage, constitutes a compact mass.
24
To dispose or be disposed of by flushing down a toilet. intransitive, transitive
25
To move, shift or align to one side. Singapore

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English flusshen, fluschen, of uncertain origin. Compare dialectal flusk (“to fly at, startle a bird out of the bush”) and flusker (“to flutter, fly irregularly”). Perhaps related to Middle English flasshen, flasschen, flaschen, see flash; or a Middle English blend of flowen (“to flow”) + guschen (“to gush”). Compare Saterland Frisian flutskje, German Low German flutschen, German flutschen.

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

Same as Etymology 3, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.

Etymology 4

Same as Etymology 3, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.

Etymology 5

Probably from Etymology 1, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.

Etymology 6

Probably from Etymology 1, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.

Etymology 7

Various similar terms are found in dialectal English and Scots as flash and flosh (older Scots flosche), and the variation goes back to Middle English flushe, flosche, flashe, flaske. The DSL suggests a relation between flush, English flash (“pool”), and Middle English flosche, but influence from other water-related senses of flush and flash is also conceivable.

Etymology 8

Probably from Middle French flus (“flow”), cognate with flux.

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