Flash has 24 different meanings across 4 categories:
Noun · Verb · Adjective · Proper Noun
a sudden intense burst of radiant energy
"A brilliant flash from lightning illuminated the stormy night sky."
a momentary brightness
"The lightning illuminated the dark sky with a sudden flash before vanishing again."
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
"if I had the chance I'd do it in a flash"
a gaudy outward display
"His flashy new car and designer clothes were just a flash to hide his financial troubles."
a short news announcement concerning some on-going news story
"The reporter shouted that there was a flash about the fire being contained before the crowd could cheer."
a bright patch of color used for decoration or identification
"red flashes adorned the airplane"
"a flash sewn on his sleeve indicated the unit he belonged to"
a lamp for providing momentary light to take a photograph
"He reached into his bag and pulled out an old camera flash to illuminate the dark alley during our night shoot."
A sudden, short, temporary burst of light.
"The kids played tag by the shallow flash near the old mill dam."
A pool.
In plain English: A flash is a very quick and sudden burst of light.
"She captured a photo of the lightning flash in her camera."
Usage: As a noun referring to a pool, flash means a small, temporary body of water that forms after heavy rain and dries up quickly. Do not use this term for permanent lakes or rivers, which have distinct names like pond or stream.
make known or cause to appear with great speed
"The latest intelligence is flashed to all command posts"
To cause to shine briefly or intermittently.
"The camera flash blinded us as it popped on and off in the dark room."
In plain English: To flash means to quickly show something, like flashing your headlights at someone.
"The camera flashed when she took his picture."
Usage: Use flash as a verb when something emits a sudden, brief burst of light, such as lightning flashing across the sky or a camera flash firing. Do not use it to describe a slow or steady illumination.
Expensive-looking and demanding attention; stylish; showy.
"She arrived at the party in a flash dress that made every eye turn toward her immediately."
In plain English: Flash means something that happens very quickly and suddenly, like a camera light turning on for just a second.
"The flash memory on my phone is very fast."
Usage: Use "flash" to describe someone or something that displays wealth in a loud, ostentatious way rather than through subtle sophistication. Avoid using it for items that are merely new or brightly colored unless their style is intentionally garish and attention-seeking.
A multimedia platform, most often used for adding animation and interactivity to webpages.
"The developer spent all night optimizing the Flash file so the website's interactive animations would load smoothly on slower connections."
The word flash entered English from Middle English flasshen, meaning "to sprinkle or splash," likely through imitative sound formation. In other contexts, it derives from North Germanic roots akin to Swedish dialectal flasa, which means "to burn brightly" and is related to the modern word flare.