Flush

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈflʌʃ/

Definitions

1. To induce a reddish appearance in skin or to send a stream of liquid quickly somewhere
2. To be aligned evenly with a surface as if making a smooth front ; to cause a quick movement of liquid through a channel or area ; to show redness in the face due to feelings or warmth ; to act with assuredness and readiness to spend freely
3. To position something so it matches the surface without protruding ; to force a rapid expulsion of fluid often for cleansing ; to develop a noticeable pink tint on the skin associated with excitement or warmth ; to express a bold or unrestrained willingness often involving resources

Etymology: The adjective "flush" meaning level with a surface is the one that tends to surprise: it is not a close relative of the verb "flush" meaning to startle a bird from cover, or of the verb meaning to blush, even though all three sit side by side in dictionaries. Its ancestry is tangled. One possibility is that it comes from a Middle French word "flus", meaning "flow", which is related to English "flux", so the sense of a level surface may have grown from the idea of liquid spreading evenly across a space. Other lines of evidence point the same way. Dialect words such as "flash" and "flosh" used for a pool of water, and older Scots "flosche", show a family of water-related terms that may have influenced one another, though the exact direction of influence is unclear. The verb senses of rushing or gushing water may also have contributed. Because the connections run through several languages and regional forms, specialists do not agree on a single origin.

Synonyms: redden, blush, palliate, flood, wash

Antonyms: pale, dry, fade, drain, empty