# dash

Pronunciation: say "DASH" /dæʃ/

## Noun

1. A horizontal punctuation mark of varying length—the figure dash, en dash, em dash, or horizontal bar—used in writing and printing.
   - Simple: A short horizontal line used in writing to join numbers or to set off part of a sentence.
   - _The editor inserted a dash to set off the final clause._
   - _Printers distinguish several dashes by length, each with its own use._
3. A small amount of a liquid or other ingredient—less than an eighth of a teaspoon.
   - Simple: A very small amount of a liquid or powder added to food.
   - _A dash of vinegar brightens the whole dish._
   - _He finished the cocktail with a dash of bitters._
4. Short form of dashboard. — Ellipsis of dashboard.
   - Simple: Short form of dashboard. It means the panel of controls in front of a driver.
   - _Dust had collected along the top of the dash._
   - _He tapped the gauge on the dash to check the reading._
5. A short, quick run or sudden burst of movement.
   - Simple: A quick run over a short distance.
   - _The runner's final dash brought her across the line first._
   - _With a quick dash, the cat slipped under the fence._
10. A slight amount of one quality blended in among others.
   - Simple: A small amount of one thing mixed into another.
   - _His writing carries a dash of irony throughout._
   - _The design adds a dash of color to the plain room._
11. A sudden rushing or forceful charge forward.
   - Simple: A sudden, fast rush or attack.
   - _The cavalry's dash broke through the enemy line._
   - _A furious dash of waves struck the harbor wall._
12. A short horizontal stroke used as a hyphen or a minus sign.
   - Simple: A short line used as a minus sign or to join words.
   - _The equation used a dash to indicate subtraction._
   - _Compound adjectives often take a dash between their parts._
13. The longer of the two basic signals of Morse code, contrasted with the shorter dot.
   - Simple: The longer of the two signals used in Morse code, paired with the dot.
   - _Operators send a dash by holding the key down longer than for a dot._
   - _The letter O is three dashes in a row._
18. Showy, flamboyant energy and style in one's manner or actions.
   - Simple: A bold, showy kind of energy and confidence in how someone acts.
   - _The young officer carried himself with a dash that impressed the whole regiment._
   - _She tackled every challenge with the dash of someone who never doubts herself._
19. A violent blow or strike.
   - Simple: A hard, sudden hit or blow.
   - _A single dash from the hammer split the stone in two._
   - _She felt the dash of the wave knock her off her feet._
20. The home feed of a social media account, where a user sees posts from the accounts they follow. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: The main feed page where a social media user sees posts.
   - _He spent the whole evening refreshing his dash for new posts._
   - _Half the memes on my dash were about the same show._
21. The prime symbol ( ′ ), especially as written after a letter or number, as in x′. *(India, UK)*
   - Simple: The small mark ′ written after a letter or number, as in x′.
   - _In the proof she referred to the new variable as y dash throughout._
   - _Label the reflected point P dash so it is not confused with P._
26. A gift, tip, or bribe, given as thanks for a service or to smooth the way for one. *(Nigeria)*
   - Simple: A gift, tip, or bribe given to someone.
   - _At the bus park in Lagos, the porters will often expect a dash for carrying your luggage._
   - _The official expected a dash before he would stamp the papers._

## Verb

2. To run quickly, especially over a short distance.
   - Simple: To run fast over a short distance.
   - _The children dashed toward the ice cream truck._
   - _Reporters dash to the scene whenever a story breaks._
6. To cause someone to lose heart; to discourage or sadden.
   - Simple: To make someone feel sad or lose hope.
   - _The rejection letter dashed him more than he admitted._
   - _Constant setbacks dash even the most determined applicants._
7. To write or draw something hastily.
   - Simple: To write or draw something quickly.
   - _He dashed a sketch of the building on the back of an envelope._
   - _Writers often dash their first ideas before they fade._
8. To leave or go away quickly. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To leave in a hurry.
   - _Sorry, I have to dash before the shops close._
   - _They dashed as soon as the meeting ended._
9. To finish something hurriedly, usually paired with 'down' or 'off'.
   - Simple: To finish something very quickly.
   - _He dashed off the speech the night before the ceremony._
   - _Students sometimes dash off essays in a single sitting._
14. To sprinkle or splatter something, scattering it in small drops or touches across a surface.
   - Simple: To scatter or sprinkle bits of something over or through something else.
   - _His lecture was dashed with anecdotes that kept everyone awake._
   - _Skilled writers dash their prose with vivid, unexpected images._
15. To throw something with great force.
   - Simple: To throw something very hard.
   - _The rider was dashed from his horse when it reared at the gate._
   - _Angry protesters dash bottles against the steel barricades._
16. To destroy something by striking it forcefully against another object.
   - Simple: To break something by hitting it hard against a surface.
   - _The tempest dashed the ship upon the reef, splintering its hull._
   - _Winter waves dash fragile hulls against the cliffs every year._
17. To ruin or destroy something, especially hopes, plans, or expectations.
   - Simple: To completely ruin someone's hopes, plans, or expectations.
   - _The final defeat dashed any chance of reaching the playoffs._
   - _A single rumor can dash years of careful work._

## Interjection

22. A mild exclamation of annoyance or frustration, used as a softer substitute for stronger swear words.
   - Simple: A mild word people say out loud when they are annoyed or upset.
   - _Dash it, the rain has ruined the whole picnic._
   - _Dash! I've locked myself out once more._

## Noun

23. A printed mark standing in for a censored or forbidden word, such as 'damn' or 'Devil.' *(dated)*
   - Simple: A long mark used in writing to hide a rude or forbidden word.
   - _Victorian printers often spared readers by reducing an oath to a polite dash._
   - _Her diary masks each forbidden name with a dash, leaving only the first letter._

## Verb

24. To damn or curse, used in mild, old-fashioned oaths. *(dated)*
   - Simple: To curse or condemn something, used as a mild old-fashioned swear word.
   - _Dash these endless delays, the captain muttered._
   - _Well, dash it all, we've missed the train again._
25. To mix, weaken, or adulterate something by adding a quantity of inferior material. *(dated)*
   - Simple: To weaken a drink or product by adding something cheaper to it.
   - _Dishonest merchants would dash their brandy with water before selling it._
   - _The grocer dashed his coffee with roasted grain to lower the price._

## Origin

From Middle English 'daschen', from Danish 'daske' ("to slap, strike"), related to Swedish 'daska' ("to smack, slap, spank"), of obscure origin. It has been compared with German 'tatschen' ("to grope, paw") and Old English 'dwǣscan' ("to quell, put out").

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