FLUSH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does flush mean? 

• FLUSH (noun)
  The noun FLUSH has 7 senses:

1. the period of greatest prosperity or productivity

2. a rosy color (especially in the cheeks) taken as a sign of good health

3. sudden brief sensation of heat (associated with menopause and some mental disorders)

4. a poker hand with all 5 cards in the same suit

5. the swift release of a store of affective force

6. a sudden rapid flow (as of water)

7. sudden reddening of the face (as from embarrassment or guilt or shame or modesty)

  Familiarity information: FLUSH used as a noun is common.

• FLUSH (adjective)
  The adjective FLUSH has 2 senses:

1. of a surface exactly even with an adjoining one, forming the same plane

2. having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value

  Familiarity information: FLUSH used as an adjective is rare.

• FLUSH (verb)
  The verb FLUSH has 7 senses:

1. turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame

2. flow freely

3. glow or cause to glow with warm color or light

4. make level or straight

5. rinse, clean, or empty with a liquid

6. irrigate with water from a sluice

7. cause to flow or flood with or as if with water

  Familiarity information: FLUSH used as a verb is common.

• FLUSH (adverb)
  The adverb FLUSH has 2 senses:

1. squarely or solidly

2. in the same plane

  Familiarity information: FLUSH used as an adverb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FLUSH (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The period of greatest prosperity or productivity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

bloom; blossom; efflorescence; flower; flush; heyday; peak; prime

Hypernyms ("flush" is a kind of...):

period; period of time; time period (an amount of time)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "flush"):

golden age (a time period when some activity or skill was at its peak)

Derivation:

flush (having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A rosy color (especially in the cheeks) taken as a sign of good health

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

bloom; blush; flush; rosiness

Hypernyms ("flush" is a kind of...):

good health; healthiness (the state of being vigorous and free from bodily or mental disease)

Derivation:

flush (turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Sudden brief sensation of heat (associated with menopause and some mental disorders)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

flush; hot flash

Hypernyms ("flush" is a kind of...):

symptom ((medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A poker hand with all 5 cards in the same suit

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("flush" is a kind of...):

poker hand (the 5 cards held in a game of poker)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The swift release of a store of affective force

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

bang; boot; charge; flush; kick; rush; thrill

Context example:

he does it for kicks

Hypernyms ("flush" is a kind of...):

excitement; exhilaration (the feeling of lively and cheerful joy)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A sudden rapid flow (as of water)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

flush; gush; outpouring

Context example:

she attacked him with an outpouring of words

Hypernyms ("flush" is a kind of...):

flow; flowing (the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "flush"):

springtide (a swelling rush of anything)

Derivation:

flush (cause to flow or flood with or as if with water)

flush (flow freely)

flush (irrigate with water from a sluice)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Sudden reddening of the face (as from embarrassment or guilt or shame or modesty)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

blush; flush

Hypernyms ("flush" is a kind of...):

inborn reflex; innate reflex; instinctive reflex; physiological reaction; reflex; reflex action; reflex response; unconditioned reflex (an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus)

Derivation:

flush (turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame)

• FLUSH (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of a surface exactly even with an adjoining one, forming the same plane

Context example:

the bottom of the window is flush with the floor

Similar:

even (being level or straight or regular and without variation as e.g. in shape or texture; or being in the same plane or at the same height as something else (i.e. even with))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value

Synonyms:

affluent; flush; loaded; moneyed; substantial; wealthy

Context example:

a substantial family

Similar:

rich (possessing material wealth)

Derivation:

flush (the period of greatest prosperity or productivity)

• FLUSH (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

blush; crimson; flush; redden

Context example:

The girl blushed when a young man whistled as she walked by

Hypernyms (to "flush" is one way to...):

color; colour; discolor; discolour (change color, often in an undesired manner)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

flush (sudden reddening of the face (as from embarrassment or guilt or shame or modesty))

flush (a rosy color (especially in the cheeks) taken as a sign of good health)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Flow freely

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The garbage flushed down the river

Hypernyms (to "flush" is one way to...):

course; feed; flow; run (move along, of liquids)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "flush"):

flush down; wash down (flow freely)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

flush (a sudden rapid flow (as of water))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Glow or cause to glow with warm color or light

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Context example:

the sky flushed with rosy splendor

Hypernyms (to "flush" is one way to...):

glow (emit a steady even light without flames)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make level or straight

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

even; even out; flush; level

Context example:

level the ground

Hypernyms (to "flush" is one way to...):

change surface (undergo or cause to undergo a change in the surface)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "flush"):

grade (level to the right gradient)

strickle; strike (smooth with a strickle)

strickle (level off with a strickle in a measuring container)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Rinse, clean, or empty with a liquid

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

flush; purge; scour

Context example:

purge the old gas tank

Hypernyms (to "flush" is one way to...):

rinse; rinse off (wash off soap or remaining dirt)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 6

Meaning:

Irrigate with water from a sluice

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

flush; sluice

Context example:

sluice the earth

Hypernyms (to "flush" is one way to...):

douse; dowse; drench; soak; sop; souse (cover with liquid; pour liquid onto)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

flush (a sudden rapid flow (as of water))

Sense 7

Meaning:

Cause to flow or flood with or as if with water

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

flush the meadows

Hypernyms (to "flush" is one way to...):

irrigate; water (supply with water, as with channels or ditches or streams)

Cause:

course; feed; flow; run (move along, of liquids)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "flush"):

perfuse; suffuse (cause to spread or flush or flood through, over, or across)

perfuse (force a fluid through (a body part or tissue))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

flush (a sudden rapid flow (as of water))

• FLUSH (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Squarely or solidly

Context example:

hit him flush in the face

Sense 2

Meaning:

In the same plane

Context example:

set it flush with the top of the table

 Context examples 

Her violet eyes shining, her lips parted, a pink flush upon her cheeks, all thought of her natural reserve lost in her overpowering excitement and concern.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She shook her head, looking round at him with flushed cheeks and eyes that sparkled in the lamp-light.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Octreotide is used to treat diarrhea and flushing associated with certain types of tumors.

(Octreotide, NCI Dictionary)

The protrusion of the tissue is flush with the level of the skin surface.

(Cervical Myelocele, NCI Thesaurus)

Washing out a hollow organ (especially the stomach) by flushing with a fluid.

(Lavage, NCI Thesaurus)

They include skin flushing, diarrhea, wheezing, and tachycardia.

(Carcinoid syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

The syndrome causes flushing of the face and upper chest, diarrhea, and trouble breathing.

(Carcinoid Tumors, NIH)

Martin's face, flushed at first, paled as he read on.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

The use of free niacin is limited by its side effects of skin flushing (i.e., redness, itching, burning, and paresthesias).

(Niacin-based Antilipidemic Agent, NCI Thesaurus)

On the bed beside the window lay Jonathan Harker, his face flushed and breathing heavily as though in a stupor.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)