Flash \Flash\ (fl[a^]sh), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Flashed
   (fl[a^]sht); p. pr. & vb. n. Flashing.] [Cf. OE. flaskien,
   vlaskien to pour, sprinkle, dial. Sw. flasa to blaze, E.
   flush, flare.]
   1. To burst or break forth with a sudden and transient flood
      of flame and light; as, the lighting flashes vividly; the
      powder flashed.
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   2. 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.
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            Names which have flashed and thundered as the watch
            words of unnumbered struggles.        --Talfourd.
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            The object is made to flash upon the eye of the
            mind.                                 --M. Arnold.
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            A thought flashed through me, which I clothed in
            act.                                  --Tennyson.
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   3. To burst forth like a sudden flame; to break out
      violently; to rush hastily.
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            Every hour
            He flashes into one gross crime or other. --Shak.
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   flash in the pan, a failure or a poor performance,
      especially after a normal or auspicious start; also, a
      person whose initial performance appears augur success but
      who fails to achieve anything notable. From 4th pan, n.,
      sense 3 -- part of a flintlock. Occasionally, the powder
      in the pan of a flintlock would flash without conveying
      the fire to the charge, and the ball would fail to be
      discharged. Thus, a good or even spectacular beginning
      that eventually achieves little came to be called a flash
      in the pan.

   To flash in the pan, to fail of success, especially after a
      normal or auspicious start. [Colloq.] See under Flash, a
      burst of light. --Bartlett.
      [1913 Webster +PJC]

   Syn: Flash, Glitter, Gleam, Glisten, Glister.

   Usage: 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.
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	Flash \Flash\ (fl[a^]sh), v. t.
   1. To send out in flashes; to cause to burst forth with
      sudden flame or light.
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            The chariot of paternal Deity,
            Flashing thick flames.                --Milton.
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   2. 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.
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   3. (Glass Making) To cover with a thin layer, as objects of
      glass with glass of a different color. See Flashing, n.,
      3
      (b) .
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   4. To trick up in a showy manner.
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            Limning and flashing it with various dyes. --A.
                                                  Brewer.
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   5. [Perh. due to confusion between flash of light and plash,
      splash.] To strike and throw up large bodies of water from
      the surface; to splash. [Obs.]
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            He rudely flashed the waves about.    --Spenser.
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   Flashed glass. See Flashing, n., 3.
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	Flash \Flash\, n.; pl. Flashes.
   1. A sudden burst of light; a flood of light instantaneously
      appearing and disappearing; a momentary blaze; as, a flash
      of lightning.
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   2. A sudden and brilliant burst, as of wit or genius; a
      momentary brightness or show.
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            The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind. --Shak.
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            No striking sentiment, no flash of fancy. --Wirt.
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   3. The time during which a flash is visible; an instant; a
      very brief period; as, I'll be back in a flash.
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            The Persians and Macedonians had it for a flash.
                                                  --Bacon.
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   4. A preparation of capsicum, burnt sugar, etc., for coloring
      and giving a fictitious strength to liquors.
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   5. A lamp for providing intense momentary light to take a
      photograph; as, to take a picture without a flash.

   Syn: flashbulb, photoflash, flash lamp, flashgun.
        [WordNet 1.5]

   6. Same as flashlight. [informal]
      [PJC]

   7. (Journalism) A short news item providing recently received
      and usually preliminary information about an event that is
      considered important enough to interrupt normal
      broadcasting or other news delivery services; also called
      a news flash or bulletin.
      [PJC]

   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.
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	Flash \Flash\, a.
   1. Showy, but counterfeit; cheap, pretentious, and vulgar;
      as, flash jewelry; flash finery.
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   2. 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.
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   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.
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	Flash \Flash\, n.
   Slang or cant of thieves and prostitutes.
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	Flash \Flash\, n. [OE. flasche, flaske; cf. OF. flache, F.
   flaque.]
   1. A pool. [Prov. Eng.] --Haliwell.
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   2. (Engineering) 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.
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   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.
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	flash
     adj : tastelessly showy; "a flash car"; "a flashy ring"; "garish
           colors"; "a gaudy costume"; "loud sport shirts"; "a
           meretricious yet stylish book"; "tawdry ornaments"
           [syn: brassy, cheap, flashy, garish, gaudy, gimcrack,
            loud, meretricious, tacky, tatty, tawdry, trashy]
     n 1: a sudden intense burst of radiant energy
     2: a momentary brightness
     3: a short vivid experience; "a flash of emotion swept over
        him"; "the flashings of pain were a warning" [syn: flashing]
     4: a sudden brilliant understanding; "he had a flash of
        intuition"
     5: a very short time (as the time it takes the eye blink or the
        heart to beat); "if I had the chance I'd do it in a flash"
        [syn: blink of an eye, heartbeat, instant, jiffy,
        split second, trice, twinkling, wink, New York
        minute]
     6: a burst of light used to communicate or illuminate [syn: flare]
     7: a short news announcement concerning some on-going news
        story [syn: news bulletin, newsflash, newsbreak]
     8: a bright patch of color used for decoration or
        identification; "red flashes adorned the airplane"; "a
        flash sewn on his sleeve indicated the unit he belonged
        to"
     9: a lamp for providing momentary light to take a photograph
        [syn: photoflash, flash lamp, flashgun, flashbulb,
         flash bulb]
     v 1: gleam or glow intermittently; "The lights were flashing"
          [syn: blink, wink, twinkle, winkle]
     2: appear briefly; "The headlines flashed on the screen"
     3: display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously; "he
        showed off his new sports car" [syn: flaunt, show off,
         ostentate, swank]
     4: make known or cause to appear with great speed; "The latest
        intelligence is flashed to all command posts"
     5: run or move very quickly or hastily; "She dashed into the
        yard" [syn: dart, dash, scoot, scud, shoot]
     6: expose or show briefly; "he flashed a $100 bill"
     7: protect by covering with a thin sheet of metal; "flash the
        roof"
     8: emit a brief burst of light; "A shooting star flashed and
        was gone"

	

	268 Moby Thesaurus words for "flash":
   Teletype, advertise, air, antelope, arrow, automatic response,
   backfire, bang, be bright, beacon, beam, beat the drum, bedazzle,
   blare, blast, blaze, blaze of light, blazon forth, blind,
   blind impulse, blink, blowout, blowup, blue darter, blue streak,
   bob up, bolt, boom, brain wave, brainstorm, brandish, break forth,
   breath, breathing, bulletin, burn, burst, burst forth, burst out,
   cable, cannonball, cast, chic, classy, coruscate, coruscation,
   coup, courser, crack, dangle, dart, dash, daze, dazzle, dazzling,
   debouch, deflagration, demonstrate, detonation, diffuse light, dip,
   discharge, display, disport, drive, eagle, electricity, emblazon,
   erupt, exchange colors, exhibit, exhibition, explosion, expose,
   express train, facula, fancy, flag, flag down, flame, flare,
   flare up, flare-up, flash fire, flashy, flaunt, fleeting impulse,
   flick, flicker, flickering, flourish, fly, fulgurate, fulguration,
   fulmination, gazelle, give a signal, give light, give the nod,
   glance, glare, gleam, gleam of light, glimmer, glimpse, glint,
   glisten, glitter, glow, greased lightning, greyhound, gut response,
   hail, hail and speak, half a jiffy, half a mo, half a second,
   half a shake, half an eye, half-mast, hare, hasten, hint,
   hoist a banner, hold up, hurry, iffy, impulse, incandesce,
   indication, inspiration, instant, instinct, involuntary impulse,
   irrupt, jet plane, jiff, jiffy, kick, leer, light, lightning,
   luster, make a sign, manifest, manifestation, mercury, microsecond,
   millisecond, minute, moment, natural impulse, news report, nod,
   notion, nudge, ostentatious, outbreak, outburst, parade, peek,
   peep, poke, pop up, put forth, put forward, quick hunch,
   quick sight, quicksilver, quiver, race, radiate, radio,
   raise a cry, rapid glance, ray, reflex, report, ritzy, rocket, run,
   rush, salute, scamper, scared rabbit, scintilla, scintillate,
   scintillation, scoot, scuttle, sec, second, send a wire,
   send out rays, shaft, shake, shimmer, shine, shine brightly, shoot,
   shoot out rays, shot, show, show off, showy, sign, sign off,
   sign on, signal, signalize, skedaddle, slant, smart, snazzy,
   solar flare, solar prominence, sound an alarm, sound the trumpet,
   spangle, spark, sparkle, speak, speed, split second, sport,
   spring up, sprint, squiz, start up, streak, streak of lightning,
   striped snake, stroke, sudden thought, suggestion, swallow, swish,
   take off, tear, telegram, telegraph, telex, thought, thunderbolt,
   tick, torrent, touch, trice, trot out, trumpet, trumpet forth,
   twink, twinkle, twinkling, twitch, two shakes, unfurl a flag, urge,
   vaunt, wave, wave a flag, wave the hand, whistle, whiz, wind, wink,
   wire, zoom

	

	Flash
     
         (Or "Shockwave Flash") A file
        format for delivering interactive vector graphics and
        animation on the World-Wide Web, developed by Macromedia.
     
        Home (http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/).
     
        (1998-07-07)

	

	flash
     
        1.  A program which allows one to flood another Unix
        user's terminal with garbage, through exploiting a common
        security hole in the victim's host's talk daemon.  Users
        with "messages off" (mesg n) and users on systems running
        fixed talk daemons, or not running talk daemons at all, are
        immune.
     
        (1996-09-08)
     
        2. See Flash Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory.
     
        (1997-02-02)