brush

brush1 [ brʌʃ ] noun **

▸ 1 tool

▸ 2 light touch

▸ 3 short experience

▸ 4 fox's tail

▸ 5 trees/branches

▸ 6 use of a brush

1. ) count an object used for painting, cleaning things, or making your hair neat. It consists of a handle with stiff fibers or thin short pieces of plastic or wire called bristles that are attached to it:

Remove any loose dirt using a soft brush.

a wire brush

2. ) singular a very gentle movement against something:

the brush of his hand

3. ) count brush with a short experience of a dangerous or unpleasant situation:

He'd had a few brushes with the law but nothing serious.

We'd had a brush with death that left us terrified.

a ) a short argument or minor disagreement with someone:

He turned out to be the man she'd had the brush with when she first arrived.

4. ) count the tail of a FOX

5. ) uncount an area of land with small trees and bushes growing on it:

The deer disappeared into the brush.

a brush fire

a ) BRUSHWOOD

6. ) singular an instance of making something clean or neat using a brush:

give something a brush: I'll give my teeth a brush before we leave.

brush

brush 2 [ brʌʃ ] verb

1. ) transitive to make something clean or neat using a brush:

brush your hair/teeth: She hadn't bothered to brush her hair.

How often do you brush your teeth?

a ) to remove dirt from a surface using a brush:

brush something off/from something: Let me brush the dust off your jacket.

b ) to apply a liquid to a surface using a brush:

Brush the lacquer on thinly.

brush something with something: First, brush the wall with a stiff brush to remove loose paint.

2. ) intransitive or transitive to touch someone or something for a very short time when you go past them:

Her sleeve brushed the wall.

brush past/against: She brushed past him.

a ) transitive to touch someone or something very gently:

He brushed her lips with his mouth.

3. ) transitive to remove something by moving your hands quickly over a surface:

The old man brushed some crumbs from his beard.

brush something away: Maggie brushed away her tears as she listened.

brush something from/off something: He jumped out to brush the snow off the windshield.

,brush a`side phrasal verb transitive

to refuse to accept that something is important or true:

These longstanding traditions, values, and attitudes cannot be brushed aside quickly.

The defendant brushed aside accusations that he had lied.

,brush `down phrasal verb transitive

to clean someone or something using your hands or a brush:

He stood in the doorway brushing himself down.

,brush `off phrasal verb transitive

to refuse to listen to someone, or to accept that something is true:

The manager brushed off suggestions that he had considered resigning.

I tried to explain it to him, but he just brushed me off.

,brush `up phrasal verb intransitive or transitive

to practice and improve your skills or knowledge of something:

I took a class to brush up my German before the trip.

brush up on: the opportunity to brush up on various techniques