flush
/ˈflʌʃ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.80 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A group of birds that have suddenly started up from undergrowth, trees, etc.
adj
Smooth, even, aligned; not sticking out.
adj
Ellipsis of flush left and right: a body of text aligned with both its left and right margins.
Example Sentences
- "As when a Faulcon hath with nimble flight / Flowne at a flush of Ducks foreby the brooke […]."
- "The dogs flushed the deer from the woods."
- "A covey of quail flushed from the undergrowth."
- "But then as little VVrens but nevvly fledge, / […] / His fellovv noting his agilitie, / Thinkes he as vvell may venter as the other, / So fluſhing from one ſpray vnto another, / Gets to the top, and then enbold'ned flies, / Vnto an height paſt ken of humane eyes: […]"
- "The birds seem to lie very close and must be nearly stepped on before they will flush."
- "AWACS is survivable due to its ability to flush on warning, to maneuver at jet speeds, to maintain awareness of the developing air situation and to command weapons as appropriate, including weapons for its own defense."
Etymology
From Middle English flusshen, fluschen, of uncertain origin. Compare dialectal flusk (“to fly at, startle a bird out of the bush”) and flusker (“to flutter, fly irregularly”). Perhaps related to Middle English flasshen, flasschen, flaschen, see flash; or a Middle English blend of flowen (“to flow”) + guschen (“to gush”). Compare Saterland Frisian flutskje, German Low German flutschen, German flutschen.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: flusshen, flushe