BRUSH

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does brush mean? 

• BRUSH (noun)
  The noun BRUSH has 8 senses:

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
6. the act of brushing your teeth
7. the act of brushing your hair
8. contact with something dangerous or undesirable

  Familiarity information: BRUSH used as a noun is common.

• BRUSH (verb)
  The verb BRUSH has 6 senses:

1. rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
2. touch lightly and briefly
3. clean with a brush
4. sweep across or over
5. remove with or as if with a brush
6. cover by brushing

  Familiarity information: BRUSH used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BRUSH (noun)

Sense 1

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A dense growth of bushes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

brush; coppice; copse; thicket; brushwood

Hypernyms ("brush" is a kind of...):

botany; flora; vegetation (all the plant life in a particular region or period)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "brush"):

brake (an area thickly overgrown usually with one kind of plant)

canebrake (a dense growth of cane (especially giant cane))

spinney (a copse that shelters game)

underbrush; undergrowth; underwood (the brush (small trees and bushes and ferns etc.) growing beneath taller trees in a wood or forest)

Sense 2

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

An implement that has hairs or bristles firmly set into a handle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("brush" is a kind of...):

implement (instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end)

Meronyms (parts of "brush"):

bristle (a stiff fiber (coarse hair or filament); natural or synthetic)

grip; handgrip; handle; hold (the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "brush"):

toothbrush (small brush; has long handle; used to clean teeth)

shaving brush (a brush used to apply lather prior to shaving)

scrub brush; scrubber; scrubbing brush (a brush with short stiff bristles for heavy cleaning)

sable; sable brush; sable's hair pencil (an artist's brush made of sable hairs)

paintbrush (a brush used as an applicator (to apply paint))

nailbrush (a brush used to clean a person's fingernails)

hairbrush (a brush used to groom a person's hair)

clothesbrush (a brush used for cleaning clothing)

bristle brush (a brush that is made with the short stiff hairs of an animal or plant)

bottlebrush (a cylindrical brush on a thin shaft that is used to clean bottles)

Sense 3

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Momentary contact

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

light touch; brush

Hypernyms ("brush" is a kind of...):

touch; touching (the event of something coming in contact with the body)

Sense 4

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Conducts current between rotating and stationary parts of a generator or motor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("brush" is a kind of...):

electrical device (a device that produces or is powered by electricity)

Holonyms ("brush" is a part of...):

generator (engine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy by electromagnetic induction)

electric motor (a motor that converts electricity to mechanical work)

Sense 5

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A minor short-term fight

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

skirmish; encounter; clash; brush

Hypernyms ("brush" is a kind of...):

combat; fight; fighting; scrap (the act of fighting; any contest or struggle)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "brush"):

contretemps (an awkward clash)

Sense 6

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The act of brushing your teeth

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

brushing; brush

Context example:

the dentist recommended two brushes a day

Hypernyms ("brush" is a kind of...):

dental care (care for the teeth)

Sense 7

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The act of brushing your hair

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

brushing; brush

Context example:

he gave his hair a quick brush

Hypernyms ("brush" is a kind of...):

hair care; haircare; hairdressing (care for the hair: the activity of washing or cutting or curling or arranging the hair)

Sense 8

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Contact with something dangerous or undesirable

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context examples:

I had a brush with danger on my way to work / he tried to avoid any brushes with the police

Hypernyms ("brush" is a kind of...):

contact (close interaction)

• BRUSH (verb)

Sense 1

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Rub with a brush, or as if with a brush

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

Johnson brushed the hairs from his jacket

Hypernyms (to "brush" is one way to...):

rub (move over something with pressure)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 2

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Touch lightly and briefly

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

He brushed the wall lightly

Hypernyms (to "brush" is one way to...):

touch (make physical contact with, come in contact with)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "brush"):

crease; graze; rake (scrape gently)

flick (touch or hit with a light, quick blow)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 3

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Clean with a brush

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

She brushed the suit before hanging it back into the closet

Hypernyms (to "brush" is one way to...):

clean; make clean (make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They brush the cape

Sense 4

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Sweep across or over

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

sweep; brush

Context examples:

Her long skirt brushed the floor / A gasp swept cross the audience

Hypernyms (to "brush" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 5

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Remove with or as if with a brush

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context examples:

brush away the crumbs / brush the dust from the jacket / brush aside the objections

Hypernyms (to "brush" is one way to...):

remove; take; take away; withdraw (remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

brush [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Cover by brushing

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

brush the bread with melted butter

Hypernyms (to "brush" is one way to...):

cover (provide with a covering or cause to be covered)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They brush the bread with melted butter