a. A device consisting of bristles fastened into a handle, used in scrubbing, polishing, or painting.
b. The act of using this device.
2. A light touch in passing; a graze.
3. An instance of contact with something undesirable or dangerous: a brush with the law; a brush with death.
4. A bushy tail: the brush of a fox.
5. A sliding connection completing a circuit between a fixed and a moving conductor.
6. A snub; a brushoff.
v.brushed, brush·ing, brush·es
v.tr.
1.
a. To clean, polish, or groom with a brush.
b. To apply with or as if with motions of a brush.
c. To remove with or as if with motions of a brush.
2. To dismiss abruptly or curtly: brushed the matter aside; brushed an old friend off.
3. To touch lightly in passing; graze against.
v.intr.
1. To use or apply a brush.
2. To move past something so as to touch it lightly.
Phrasal Verbs:
brush backBaseball
To force (a batter) to move away from the plate by throwing an inside pitch.
brush up
1. To refresh ones memory.
2. To renew a skill.
[Middle English brusshe, from Old French brosse, brushwood, brush; see brush2.]
brusher n.
brushy adj.
Synonyms: brush1, flick1, glance1, graze2, shave, skim These verbs mean to make light contact with something in passing: Her arm brushed mine. I flicked the paper with my finger. The arrow glanced off the tree. The knife blade grazed the countertop. A taxi shaved the curb. The oar skims the ponds surface.
brush 2(brsh)
n.
1.
a. A dense growth of bushes or shrubs.
b. Land covered by such a growth.
2. Cut or broken branches.
[Middle English brusshe, from Old French brosse, brushwood, from Vulgar Latin *bruscia, perhaps from Latin bruscum, knot on a maple.]
brushy adj.
brush /br/ n.brushes1 a tool made of bristles (of nylon, wire, hair, etc.) on a hard back: Brushes can be used to clean, polish, smooth, or paint.2 a light touch in passing v. [T] brushed, brushing, brushes1 to use a brush: She brushed her teeth with a toothbrush.2 to touch or bump s.o. or s.t. lightly while passing: Her coat brushed me as she ran past.3 phrasal v.sep.to brush s.o. or s.t. away or aside: to ignore, esp. problems: She brushed aside our concerns.||She brushed them aside.4 phrasal v.sep.to brush s.o. off: to reject: He brushed off his boss at the company picnic.||He brushed her off.5 phrasal v.sep.to brush s.t. up (on): to improve ones knowledge of s.t., (syn.) review: He needs to brush up on his math before taking the exam.||He needs to brush up on it.
/ n. brushes 1 a tool made of bristles (of nylon, wire, hair, etc.) on a hard back: Brushes can be used to clean, polish, smooth, or paint. 2 a light touch in passing
v. [T] brushed, brushing, brushes 1 to use a brush: She brushed her teeth with a toothbrush. 2 to touch or bump s.o. or s.t. lightly while passing: Her coat brushed me as she ran past. 3 phrasal v. sep. to brush s.o. or s.t. away or aside: to ignore, esp. problems: She brushed aside our concerns.||She brushed them aside. 4 phrasal v. sep. to brush s.o. off: to reject: He brushed off his boss at the company picnic.||He brushed her off. 5 phrasal v. sep. to brush s.t. up (on): to improve ones knowledge of s.t., (syn.) review: He needs to brush up on his math before taking the exam.||He needs to brush up on it. 
sh)
er n.