Flash

Flash, flash, n. a momentary gleam of light: a sudden burst, as of merriment: a short transient state.—v.i. to break forth, as a sudden light: to break out into intellectual brilliancy: to burst out into violence.—v.t. to cause to flash: to expand, as blown glass, into a disc: to send by some startling or sudden means.—n. Flash′-house, a brothel.—adv. Flash′ily.—ns. Flash′iness; Flash′ing, the act of blazing: a sudden burst, as of water; Flash′-point, the temperature at which an inflammable liquid takes fire—in the case of petroleum, &c., ascertained by placing oil in a vessel called a tester (used open and closed), and heating it up to a point at which sufficient vapour is generated as to give off a small flash when a light is applied to it.—adj. Flash′y, dazzling for a moment: showy but empty: (Milt.) vapid: gay—also Flash, vulgarly showy, gay but tawdry: pertaining to thieves, vagabonds, &c., as the 'flash language'=thieves' cant or slang: 'flash notes'=counterfeit notes.—Flash in the pan (see Pan). [Prob. imit.; cf. Sw. prov. flasa, to blaze.]