TOOTHBRUSH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does toothbrush mean? 

• TOOTHBRUSH (noun)
  The noun TOOTHBRUSH has 2 senses:

1. small brush; has long handle; used to clean teeth

2. slang for a mustache

  Familiarity information: TOOTHBRUSH used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TOOTHBRUSH (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Small brush; has long handle; used to clean teeth

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

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

brush (an implement that has hairs or bristles firmly set into a handle)

toilet articles; toiletry (artifacts used in making your toilet (washing and taking care of your body))

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

electric toothbrush (a toothbrush with an electric motor in the handle that vibrates the head of the brush)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Slang for a mustache

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

soup-strainer; toothbrush

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

moustache; mustache (an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip)

Domain usage:

argot; cant; jargon; lingo; patois; slang; vernacular (a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves))

 Context examples 

For babies, you should clean teeth with a soft, clean cloth or baby's toothbrush.

(Child Dental Health, NIH: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research)

It is used with a toothbrush for the purpose of cleaning and polishing the teeth.

(Dentifrice Gel Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

She would like the relics of great people better, for I've seen her Napoleon's cocked hat and gray coat, his baby's cradle and his old toothbrush, also Marie Antoinette's little shoe, the ring of Saint Denis, Charlemagne's sword, and many other interesting things.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)