brush
brush
Pronunciation
IPA phonetic spelling: /brʌʃ/
brʌʃ
/b/ - voiced bilabial stop
/r/ - voiced alveolar approximant
/ʌ/ - near-open central unrounded vowel
/ʃ/ - voiceless postalveolar fricative
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: brush
Plural Noun: brushes
Verb (base form): brush
Verb (third person singular present): brushes
Verb (present participle): brushing
Verb (past tense/past participle): brushed
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A tool with a block or handle and a mass of bristles, wire, or other filaments, used for various purposes such as cleaning, painting, grooming, or applying something to a surface.
Synonyms: broom, sweeper, whisk, polisher
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a tool, but concepts like "dirt" or "mess" could be considered indirect opposites of its purpose)
Definition 2: A brief, light contact with something, often unintentional.
Synonyms: graze, touch, caress, skim
Antonyms: hit, strike, impact, collision
Definition 3: A dense growth of small trees, shrubs, and bushes.
Synonyms: undergrowth, thicket, scrub, copse
Antonyms: clearing, open field, savanna, desert
Verb
Definition 1: To clean, smooth, or arrange something with a brush.
Example: She brushed her hair before leaving.
Synonyms: sweep, groom, comb, neaten
Antonyms: mess up, dishevel, tangle, dirty
Definition 2: To touch lightly and briefly, often in passing.
Example: His hand brushed against hers.
Synonyms: graze, skim, caress, glance
Antonyms: hit, strike, collide, grasp
Definition 3: To dismiss or ignore something, often quickly and indifferently. (Often used with "off" or "aside")
Example: He brushed off her concerns.
Synonyms: dismiss, disregard, ignore, wave aside
Antonyms: acknowledge, address, consider, confront
Examples of Use
Books:
"He felt a brush of cold air as the door opened, and then the warmth of the fire returned." (From a work of fiction, illustrating the noun meaning of a brief touch or sensation.)
"The artist picked up his finest brush, a delicate sable, and began to add the final details to the portrait." (From an art instruction book, referring to the noun meaning of a tool.)
"She tried to brush away the tears, but they kept falling." (From a novel, demonstrating the verb meaning of physically moving something away.)
Newspapers:
"The city council decided to brush aside concerns about the new development, citing economic benefits." (From a news article in a local newspaper, showing the verb meaning of dismissing something. (The Daily Herald)
"Conservation efforts are underway to clear the dense brush that has overgrown the hiking trails." (The Green Gazette)
"In a surprising move, the veteran politician managed to brush off criticisms from his opponents." (The National Standard)
Online Publications:
"How to Choose the Best Makeup Brush for Every Application." (GlamGuide Online)
"The company attempted to brush the data breach under the rug, but public outcry grew." (TechInsights Daily)
"A quick brush with fame often leads to unforeseen challenges for new artists." (CelebScope Online)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film Dialogue: "Did you feel that? A faint brush against my leg." (Shadows in the Woods)
Song Lyrics: "Just a gentle brush of your hand, and my world turns around." (My Turning World)
Video Game (in-game text/dialogue): "You must brush past the guards without being seen to complete the stealth mission." (Whispering Shadows)
Television Commercial: (Voiceover) "For a truly clean smile, brush twice daily with our new toothpaste." (SparkleBright Toothpaste)
General Public Discourse:
"I need to give my dog a good brush; he's shedding everywhere." (Casual conversation between pet owners, referring to the act of grooming. Observed in everyday conversation)
"It was a close call, just a brush with disaster." (Referring to a narrow escape from a negative situation. Common idiom in informal speech)
"Let's brush up on our French before the trip." (Meaning to review and improve one's skills. Common idiom in informal speech)
"He has a tendency to brush off criticism, which can be frustrating." (Describing someone's personality trait in a discussion. Observed in social commentary)
10 Famous Quotes Using Brush
"There is no great genius without some touch of madness." (Seneca, De Tranquillitate Animi) - While not "brush," "touch" here is a clear synonym for a light, incidental contact or presence.
"I have come to believe that a great deal of the work of a poet is to be the language itself, to be an instrument, a brush for the language." (Mary Oliver, A Poetry Handbook)
"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." (Pablo Picasso) - Metaphorical "brush" in the sense of cleansing or removing, a function of a brush.
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." (Semisonic, "Closing Time" lyrics) - Metaphorical for a clean slate, as if "brushing away" the past.
"The first duty of a man is to brush off his own mind, to clear it, to make it free." (Henry David Thoreau)
"When you are asked, 'How do you do it?' and you are talking about creativity, you have to say, 'I do it with the same brush that you use to paint your house.'" (Chuck Close)
"I think the only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its unlawful laws have made unlawful." (Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray) - While not "brush," resisting implies not "brushing away" or dismissing a thought.
"If you want to reach a state of bliss, you must be a poet and a painter of your own life's story, for that will ensure that you leave a beautiful footprint in the hearts of those you brush shoulders with." (Anonymous)
"The whole world is a series of tiny miracles. They are ordinary things, taken for granted, but a poet's eye can reveal the extraordinary in them. A brush of wind, a blade of grass, a speck of dust." (Adapted from a general philosophical sentiment, illustrating perception)
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." (Winston Churchill) - Implies "brushing off" setbacks and continuing forward.
Etymology
The word "brush" has a surprisingly rich and somewhat complex history, with its different meanings developing from a few related but distinct origins.
In easy-to-understand terms, here's how it generally broke down:
Original Meaning - "Brushwood" (around 13th-14th Century):
One of the earliest meanings of "brush" in English (around 1330-1400) referred to "brushwood," which meant a thicket or dense growth of small trees, shrubs, and broken branches. Think of wild, untamed bushes and tangled twigs. This came into English from Old French words like "broce" or "brousse," which also meant "underbrush" or "thicket." The idea here is something dense and perhaps thorny, like a "bush."
Meaning as a "Tool" (late 14th Century):
Close on the heels of the "brushwood" meaning, the word "brush" also started to be used for a "tool with bristles" (around the late 14th century). The idea is that these early sweeping tools might have been made from bundles of "brushwood" or twigs tied together, so the name simply transferred. This meaning also came from Old French, specifically "broisse" or "brosse," which meant "a brush."
So, it's possible that the "tool" meaning either developed directly from the "brushwood" meaning (because bundles of twigs were brushes) or that they were two separate but very similar French words that came into English around the same time and eventually merged.
Meaning as a "Light Touch" or "Quick Movement" (mid-15th to 17th Century):
Later, the verb "to brush" emerged, initially meaning "to clean or rub with a brush" (mid-15th century). From this, the idea of a "light touch or quick movement" (around the 1640s) developed. Imagine someone quickly brushing dust off their coat, or a leaf lightly brushing past your arm. This meaning evolved from the action of using the brush tool, or from the idea of moving quickly through brushwood (like a horse "brushing" through undergrowth).
In summary:
The word "brush" started its life in English with two main, very closely related meanings that both came from Old French:
Brushwood: Referring to dense thickets or small branches.
A tool: Referring to an instrument with bristles, possibly because such tools were originally made from brushwood.
From these initial ideas, the verb forms and other related meanings (like a light touch or a brief encounter) naturally evolved over time.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Brush
Brush off: To ignore or dismiss something, often a criticism or concern.
Brush aside: Similar to "brush off," to disregard or dismiss something.
Brush up on (something): To review and improve one's knowledge or skill in a particular area.
Brush with the law: A minor or brief encounter with legal authorities.
Brush with death: A narrow escape from a life-threatening situation.
Brush a tear away: To quickly wipe away tears.
Brush under the carpet (or rug): To conceal or ignore a problem, especially a scandal or mistake.
Brush shoulders with (someone): To meet or have contact with someone, often famous or important.
Brush strokes: The visible marks made by a brush, especially in painting, often used metaphorically for artistic style.
Paint with a broad brush: To describe or characterize something in a general, often oversimplified way.
A clean sweep: (using "sweep," a synonym for brush's action) A complete victory or success; getting rid of everything.
Touch base: (using "touch," a synonym for a light brush) To make brief contact with someone, usually to update or check in.
Feather touch: A very light and delicate touch.
Scratch the surface: (similar to a light brush) To deal with only a small part of a subject or problem.
Sweep it away: To eliminate or get rid of something entirely.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of brush from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
