# brush

Pronunciation: say "BRUSH" /bɹʌʃ/

## Noun

1. A tool made of flexible bristles or filaments fixed to a handle, used for cleaning, painting, arranging hair, and similar tasks.
   - Simple: A tool with stiff hairs fixed to a handle, used to clean, paint, or tidy hair.
   - _The artist cleaned each brush carefully after finishing the portrait._
   - _A wire brush works best for scrubbing rust off metal._
5. A single act of moving a brush over something, or a light sweeping touch against it.
   - Simple: A quick rub or sweep made with a brush.
   - _With one brush of his sleeve, he wiped the dust off the table._
   - _A few brushes of the comb left her hair smooth._
6. Wild vegetation made up of shrubs and low plants, larger than grass but smaller than trees.
   - Simple: Small wild plants and bushes that grow thicker than grass but lower than trees.
   - _Firefighters struggled to contain the blaze spreading through the dry brush._
   - _A rabbit darted out of the brush and across the trail._
7. A brief or occasional encounter with something, often something risky or unpleasant.
   - Simple: A short meeting with something, often something dangerous or unusual.
   - _His brush with serious illness changed how he lived._
   - _The hikers had a brush with a bear near the campsite._
11. The furry tail of an animal, especially the bushy tail of a fox.
   - Simple: The thick, furry tail of an animal, especially a fox.
   - _The fox's brush flicked as it slipped into the undergrowth._
   - _A squirrel's full brush helps it balance on thin branches._
12. An on-screen tool used to paint a chosen color or texture onto a digital image.
   - Simple: A tool on screen that you use to paint a color or texture onto a picture.
   - _She selected a wide brush to lay down the background color._
   - _Dragging the brush across the canvas leaves a trail of texture._
13. A defined set of design choices and parameters that give drawn strokes a particular texture and quality.
   - Simple: A saved group of settings that gives each painted stroke its own texture and look.
   - _Artists often build a custom brush to match the grain of real watercolor paper._
   - _This brush produces ragged, ink-like strokes with tapered ends._
14. A drumstick-like implement with fanned wire or plastic bristles, used to draw a soft, brushing sound from drums or cymbals.
   - Simple: A tool with thin wire or plastic bristles, used to play drums softly.
   - _She brushed the cymbal lightly, the brush giving the ballad a smoky texture._
   - _Jazz drummers often reach for a brush when the music calls for restraint._
15. A component, usually made of carbon, that provides a path for electric current between a machine's rotating and stationary parts.
   - Simple: A small block of carbon that keeps electricity flowing between the moving and still parts of a motor.
   - _The technician replaced a worn brush inside the electric motor._
   - _Each brush rides against the commutator, transferring current to the armature._
16. A brush-shaped electrical discharge in which sparks spread out from a charged point or conductor.
   - Simple: A spray of sparks shaped like the bristles of a brush.
   - _A pale brush of light played around the antenna tip during the storm._
   - _High voltage on the sharp edge produced a faint crackling brush._
17. In 3D game design, a convex solid shape used as a building block to define the structure of a play area.
   - Simple: A solid 3D block that level designers use to build the shape of a game world.
   - _The level designer carved a doorway by subtracting one brush from another._
   - _Every wall in the map began as a simple brush._
18. A tuft of hair on the mandibles of an insect or similar animal.
   - Simple: A small tuft of hair growing on an insect's jaws.
   - _The beetle's mandibles bore a dense brush of bristles._
   - _A brush of stiff hairs lined the edge of each jaw._
19. In a poker room, the staff member who manages waiting lists, seating, and the running of the games, typically in a casino. *(slang)*
   - Simple: The worker in a poker room who manages games and seats players.
   - _The brush called our names when two seats opened at the high-stakes table._
   - _Players checked in with the brush before joining a cash game._
21. Cut boughs of evergreens, particularly balsam fir, gathered locally and baled for export, mostly to be made into wreaths.
   - Simple: Cut evergreen branches that are tied in bundles and sold for making wreaths.
   - _Crews spent November cutting brush in the northern forests._
   - _The mill buys brush by the ton for the holiday wreath trade._

## Verb

2. To clean a surface or object by rubbing it with a brush.
   - Simple: To make something clean by rubbing it with a brush.
   - _She brushed the suede chair to lift the matted fibers._
   - _Grooms brush the horses each evening after their exercise._
3. To clean one's teeth using a toothbrush moved back and forth over them.
   - Simple: To clean your teeth by moving a toothbrush over them.
   - _The dentist told him to brush more gently along the gumline._
   - _Children should brush after every meal to prevent cavities._
4. To touch something with a light, sweeping motion, or lightly while passing by.
   - Simple: To touch something gently as you move past it.
   - _His coat brushed the doorway as he hurried out._
   - _I felt something brush my cheek in the dark._
8. To untangle or smooth hair, fur, or fibers by drawing a brush through them.
   - Simple: To make hair or fur neat and smooth using a brush.
   - _He brushed the pony's mane until it lay flat and glossy._
   - _Brush your hair back from your face before the photo._
9. To spread or apply a liquid, such as paint or glaze, onto a surface using a brush.
   - Simple: To put paint, glue, or another liquid on something using a brush.
   - _He brushed a thin layer of varnish onto the tabletop._
   - _Brush the melted butter across the warm rolls._
10. To remove something from a surface by sweeping it away with light, quick strokes.
   - Simple: To get rid of something by sweeping it away with quick strokes.
   - _He brushed the sand from his legs after the swim._
   - _Brush the loose hairs off the jacket before the meeting._

## Noun

20. A brief race, or any quick trial of speed, as between riders or coaches on the road. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A short race or quick test of speed.
   - _The young officers settled the matter with a brush across the open field._
   - _A brush between the two coaches drew a crowd along the turnpike._

## Origin

From Middle English brusshe, from Old French broisse (Modern French brosse), from Vulgar Latin *brustia and ultimately a Frankish and Proto-Germanic root *burstiz meaning "bristle"; it may also come from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "tuft, thicket, underbrush."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/brush (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).