flush

Smooth, even, aligned; not sticking out.

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.
    • In 1952, Fawcett Books was flush with the unprecedented success of Women's Barracks. - 2001, Susan Stryker, Queer Pulp, page 54:
  3. Ellipsis of flush left and right: a body of text aligned with both its left and right margins.

    Synonyms: forced forced justified force justified justified

  4. Full of vigor; fresh; glowing; bright.
    • With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May. - c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First...
  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: […] - 1712, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], “A Copy of Bull and Frog’s Letter...

Origin

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

Forms

flusher flushest

Derived

flush cast flush left flush left and right flush mount flush mounted flush mounting flushness flush right nonflush non-flush semi-flush

Adverb

  1. Suddenly and completely.
    • I landed flush on the couch.

Noun Entry 3

  1. A sudden flowing; a rush which fills or overflows, as of water for cleansing purposes.
    • in manner of a wave or flush - 1691, John Ray, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. […], London: […] Samuel Smith, […], →OCLC:
  2. Particularly, such a cleansing of a toilet.
  3. The process of clearing the contents of a buffer or cache.
  4. A suffusion of the face with blood, as from fear, shame, modesty, or intensity of feeling of any kind; a blush; a glow.
    • 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: […] - 1830 June, Alfred Tennyson, “Madeline”, in Poems. […], volume I,...
  5. Any tinge of red color like that produced on the cheeks by a sudden rush of blood.
    • the flush on the side of a peach; the flush on the clouds at sunset
    • Benefit’s cult product Benetint is the lip stain most widely associated with Popsicle lips. Its watery tint gives just the slightest hint of flush, befitting of lips (and nipples — Benetint’s original use was to tint...
  6. A sudden flood or rush of feeling; a thrill of excitement, animation, etc.
    • a flush of joy
  7. A line of poles or obstacles that a skier must weave between.

Origin

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

Forms

flushes

Derived

alcohol flush reaction Asian flush autoflush backflush binge flush bucket flush courtesy flush eco-flush first flush flush deck flushless flush mounting flushometer flush toilet four-flush four flush hot flush mercy flush outflush overflush preflush running flush saline flush sex flush

Noun Entry 4

  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 […]. - 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

Origin

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.

Forms

flushes

Noun Entry 5

  1. 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. - 1917, Transactions and Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, page 131:
    • The reason for a "green gair" or flush is the outflow of a spring, and a regular line of these springs may often be traced along a valley slope. - 1918, The Scottish Journal of Agriculture, volumes 1-2, page 263:
    • The pH in water of the hillside soils varied between 3.1 and 6.1 with a mean of 4.2. The pattern of pH variation is complex and does not clearly relate either to cultivation or occupation. The most consistent, though...

Origin

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.

Forms

flushes

Noun card games, poker

  1. A hand consisting of all cards with the same suit.

Origin

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

Forms

flushes

Derived

bobtail flush busted flush nut flush royal flush straight flush

Verb Entry 7

  1. To cleanse by flooding with generous quantities of a fluid.
    • Flush the injury with plenty of water.

    Synonyms: sluice

  2. Particularly, to cleanse a toilet by introducing a large amount of water.
  3. To become suffused with reddish color due to embarrassment, excitement, overheating, or other systemic disturbance, to blush.
    • The damsel flushed at the scoundrel's suggestion.
    • She turned, laughing at the surprise, and flushing with pleasure. - 1872, “The Argosy. Edited by Mrs. Henry Wood. Volume XIV. July to December, 1872”, in Google, London, page 60:
  4. To cause to blush.
    • Nor flush with shame the passing virgin's cheek. - [1716], [John] Gay, “(please specify the page)”, in Trivia: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London, London: […] Bernard Lintott, […], →OCLC:
    • Sudden a thought came like a full-blown rose, / Flushing his brow, [...] - 1819, John Keats, “The Eve of St. Agnes”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and...
    • "Who plants a seed begets a bud, -- Extract of that same root; -- Why marvel at the hectic blood -- That flushes this wild fruit?" - 1925, Countee Cullen, Fruit of the Flower:
  5. To cause to be full; to flood; to overflow; to overwhelm with water.
    • to flush the meadows
  6. To excite, inflame.
    • such things as can only feed his pride and flush his ambition - 1692–1717, Robert South, “Against Long Extemporary Prayers”, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI),...
    • Chill depths of the spirit are flushed to a fever, The nightmare silence is broken. We are not lost. - 1941, Theodore Roethke, “Prognosis”, in Open House, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A[braham] Knopf, →OCLC; republished in...
  7. To be cleansed by being flooded with generous quantities of water.
    • There must be somebody home: I just heard the toilet flushing.
  8. To clear (a buffer or cache) of its contents.
  9. To write (the data) to primary storage, clearing it from the buffer or cache.
    • flush to disk
  10. To flow and spread suddenly; to rush.
    • Blood flushes into the face.
    • the flushing noise of many waters - 1545, John Bale, The Image of Both Churches:
  11. To show red; to shine suddenly; to glow.
    • In her cheek, distemper flushing glowed. - 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker,...
  12. To fill in (joints); to point the level; to make them flush.

Forms

flushes flushing flushed

Synonyms

blush crimson

Derived

aflush flushable flusher flushing toilet nonflushing outflush reflush unflushing

Verb Entry 8

  1. To cause to take flight from concealment.
    • The dogs flushed the deer from the woods.

    Synonyms: drive flush out scare up

  2. To take suddenly to flight, especially from cover.
    • A covey of quail flushed from the undergrowth.
    • But then as little VVrens but nevvly fledge, / […] / His fellovv noting his agilitie, / Thinkes he as vvell may venter as the other, / So fluſhing from one ſpray vnto another, / Gets to the top, and then enbold'ned...
    • The birds seem to lie very close and must be nearly stepped on before they will flush. - 1926, Arthur Cleveland Bent, Life Histories of North American Birds: Marsh Birds, page 336:

Forms

flushes flushing flushed