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flash

n. · v. · adj.
US //ˈfɫæʃ// UK //flˈæʃ// flash
  1. 1 burst of light (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a sudden, brief, and bright light.

    a sudden and brief emission of light, often intense in nature.

    Example

    A flash of lightning lit up the dark sky for a second.

    Example

    The sudden flash of the explosion was visible from several miles away, momentarily blinding the observers.
  2. 2 photography (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Photography

    a small light on a camera that makes a bright burst to help take photos in the dark.

    an electronic device or bulb used in photography to produce a brief, intense light for illumination.

    Example

    Don't use the flash in the museum because it might damage the old paintings.

    Example

    The photographer adjusted the external flash to bounce the light off the ceiling, creating a softer effect for the portrait.
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  1. 3 a short moment (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a very short period of time.

    an extremely brief interval of time; often used in the phrase 'in a flash'.

    Example

    The summer holidays seemed to go by in a flash.

    Example

    The entire sequence of events occurred in a flash, leaving the witnesses struggling to recall the exact order of the accident.
  2. 4 sudden idea or feeling (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a sudden and powerful thought or emotion.

    a sudden and brilliant burst of an abstract quality, such as wit, genius, or insight.

    Example

    I had a flash of inspiration and finally solved the puzzle.

    Example

    In a rare flash of genius, the engineer proposed a solution that bypassed the structural limitations of the original design.
  3. 5 to shine briefly (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to shine with a bright light for a very short time.

    to emit a brief or intermittent light; can be transitive or intransitive.

    Example

    The lighthouse flashed its warning across the stormy sea.

    Example

    The diamond flashed brilliantly as she moved her hand under the gallery spotlights.
  4. 6 to move quickly (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to move very fast past someone or something.

    to move at great speed in a specified direction.

    Example

    A red sports car flashed past us on the motorway.

    Example

    The high-speed train flashed through the station without stopping, creating a powerful gust of wind on the platform.
  5. 7 to show quickly (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to show something to someone very quickly.

    to make something visible for a very brief duration, often to prove identity or status.

    Example

    The officer flashed his badge and asked to enter the building.

    Example

    He flashed a quick smile of encouragement before stepping onto the stage to begin his presentation.
  6. 8 computing (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    to update the software on a piece of hardware, like a phone or computer part.

    to overwrite or update the firmware in a non-volatile memory chip.

    Example

    You need to flash the latest BIOS to support the new processor.

    Example

    The technician warned that if the power failed while flashing the firmware, the device could become permanently unusable.
  7. 9 showy or expensive (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate British English Informal

    looking expensive and impressive, often in a way that tries to get attention.

    ostentatiously expensive or stylish; intended to impress others.

    Example

    He drives a flash car but he doesn't have much money in the bank.

    Example

    The new nightclub was a bit too flash for my taste, with gold-plated fixtures and overpriced cocktails.
Etymology 1

In some senses, from Middle English flasshen, a variant of flasken, flaskien (“to sprinkle, splash”), which was likely of imitative origin; in other senses probably of North Germanic origin akin to Swedish dialectal flasa (“to burn brightly, blaze”), related to flare. Compare also Icelandic flasa (“to rush, go hastily”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English flashe, flaske, also found as flosche and flushe (whence modern English flosh and flush), used in Middle and modern English for bodies of water with varying emphasis on them being "pools" or "marshes". It is not entirely clear whether these constitute a single term with varied spellings, or have distinct etymologies. The form flash, flashe is often suggested to be from Old French flache, French flaque, which is of Germanic origin, akin to Middle Dutch vlacke (“an estuary, flats with stagnant pools”). See flush for more on that form.

Word family
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