FLASH, n.

1. A sudden burst of light; a flood of light instantaneously appearing and disappearing; as, a flash of lightning.
2. A sudden burst of flame and light; an instantaneous blaze; as, the flash of a gun.
3. A sudden burst, as of wit or merriment; as, a flash of wit; a flash of joy or mirth. His companions recollect no instance of premature wit, no striking sentiment, no flash of fancy. Wirt.
4. A short, transient state. The Persians and Macedonians had it for a flash. Bacon.
5. A body of water driven by violence. [Local.] Pegge.
6. A little pool. Qu. plash. [Local.]

1. To break forth, as a sudden flood of light; to burst or open instantly on the sight, as splendor. It differs from glitter, glisten and gleam, in denoting a flood or wide extent of light. The latter words may express the issuing of light from a small object, or from a pencil of rays. A diamond may glitter or glisten, but it does not flash. Flash differs from other words also in denoting suddenness of appearance and disappearance.
2. To burst or break forth with a flood of flame and light; as, the powder flashed in the pan. Flashing differs from exploding or disploding, in not being accompanied with a loud report.
3. To burst out into any kind of violence. Every hour He flashes into one gross crime or other. Shak.
4. To break out, as a sudden expression of wit, merriment, or bright thought. Felton.

1. To strike up a body of water from the surface. Carew. He rudely flashed the waves. Spenser. [In this sense I believe this word is not used in America.]
2. To strike or to throw like a burst of light; as, to flash conviction on the mind.

1. To burst or break forth with a sudden and transient flood of flame and light] as, the lighting flashes vividly; the powder flashed.
2. To send out in flashes; to cause to burst forth with sudden flame or light.
   
   

   The chariot of paternal Deity,
   Flashing thick flames. Milton.

3. A sudden burst of light; a flood of light instantaneously appearing and disappearing; a momentary blaze; as, a flash of lightning.
4. Showy, but counterfeit; cheap, pretentious, and vulgar; as, flash jewelry; flash finery.
5. Slang or cant of thieves and prostitutes.
6. A pool.
   
   
   [Prov. Eng.] Haliwell.
7. To break forth, as a sudden flood of light; to burst instantly and brightly on the sight; to show a momentary brilliancy; to come or pass like a flash.
   
   

   Names which have flashed and thundered as the watch words of unnumbered struggles. Talfourd.

   The object is made to flash upon the eye of the mind. M. Arnold.

   A thought flashed through me, which I clothed in act. Tennyson.

8. To convey as by a flash; to light up, as by a sudden flame or light; as, to flash a message along the wires; to flash conviction on the mind.
9. A sudden and brilliant burst, as of wit or genius; a momentary brightness or show.
   
   

   The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind. Shak.

   No striking sentiment, no flash of fancy. Wirt.

10. Wearing showy, counterfeit ornaments; vulgarly pretentious; as, flash people; flash men or women; -- applied especially to thieves, gamblers, and prostitutes that dress in a showy way and wear much cheap jewelry.
    
    

    Flash house, a house frequented by flash people, as thieves and whores; hence, a brothel. "A gang of footpads, reveling with their favorite beauties at a flash house." Macaulay.

11. A reservoir and sluiceway beside a navigable stream, just above a shoal, so that the stream may pour in water as boats pass, and thus bear them over the shoal.
    
    

    Flash wheel (Mech.), a paddle wheel made to revolve in a breast or curved water way, by which water is lifted from the lower to the higher level.

12. To burst forth like a sudden flame; to break out violently; to rush hastily.
    
    

    Every hour
    He flashes into one gross crime or other. Shak.

    To flash in the pan, to fail of success. [Colloq.] See under Flash, a burst of light. Bartlett.

    Syn. -- Flash, Glitter, Gleam, Glisten, Glister. Flash differs from glitter and gleam, denoting a flood or wide extent of light. The latter words may express the issuing of light from a small object, or from a pencil of rays. Flash differs from other words, also, in denoting suddenness of appearance and disappearance. Flashing differs from exploding or disploding in not being accompanied with a loud report. To glisten, or glister, is to shine with a soft and fitful luster, as eyes suffused with tears, or flowers wet with dew.

13. To cover with a thin layer, as objects of glass with glass of a different color. See Flashing, n., 3 (b).
14. The time during which a flash is visible; an instant; a very brief period.
    
    

    The Persians and Macedonians had it for a flash. Bacon.

15. To trick up in a showy manner.
    
    

    Limning and flashing it with various dyes. A. Brewer.

16. A preparation of capsicum, burnt sugar, etc., for coloring and giving a fictitious strength to liquors.
    
    

    Flash light, or Flashing light, a kind of light shown by lighthouses, produced by the revolution of reflectors, so as to show a flash of light every few seconds, alternating with periods of dimness. Knight. -- Flash in the pan, the flashing of the priming in the pan of a flintlock musket without discharging the piece; hence, sudden, spasmodic effort that accomplishes nothing.

17. To strike and throw up large bodies of water from the surface; to splash.
    
    
    [Obs.]

    He rudely flashed the waves about. Spenser.

    Flashed glass. See Flashing, n., 3.