Etymology: Middle English flaschen, of imitative origin
Date: 13th century
intransitive verb1:rush, dash —used of flowing water 2: to break forth in or like a sudden flame or flare 3 a: to appear suddenly <an idea flashes into her mind>b: to move with great speed <the days flash by> 4 a: to break forth or out so as to make a sudden display <the sun flashed from behind a cloud>b: to act or speak vehemently and suddenly especially in anger 5 a: to give off light suddenly or in transient bursts b: to glow or gleam especially with animation or passion <her eyes flashed with anger> 6: to change suddenly or violently into vapor <hot water flashing to steam under reduced pressure> 7: to expose one's breasts or genitals usually suddenly and briefly in public 8: to have sudden insight —often used with ontransitive verb1 aarchaic:splashb: to fill by a sudden inflow of water 2 a: to cause the sudden appearance of (light) b: to cause to burst violently into flame c (1): to cause (light) to reflect (2): to cause (as a mirror) to reflect light (3): to cause (a lamp) to flash d: to convey by means of flashes of light 3 a: 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: as a: to protect against rain by covering with sheet metal or a substitute b: to coat (as 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 <flashed the audience>
synonymsflash, gleam, glint, sparkle, glitter, glisten, glimmer, shimmer mean to send forth light. flash implies a sudden and transient outburst of bright light <lightning flashed>. gleam suggests a steady light seen through an obscuring medium or against a dark background <lights gleamed in the valley>. glint implies a cold glancing light <glinting steel>. sparkle suggests innumerable moving points of bright light <the sparkling waters of the gulf>. glitter connotes a brilliant sparkling or gleaming <glittering diamonds>. glisten applies to the soft sparkle from a wet or oily surface <glistening rain-drenched sidewalks>. glimmer suggests a faint or wavering gleam <a distant glimmering light>. shimmer implies a soft tremulous gleaming or a blurred reflection <a shimmering satin dress>.
