noun
brush
bruhsh
noun
1
A tool with bristles attached to a handle, used for cleaning, painting, or grooming hair.
"He dipped the brush in paint and started on the fence."
"She ran a brush through her hair before leaving."
2
A brief, unpleasant encounter with something.
"He had a brush with the law as a teenager."
3
Wild, low-growing vegetation such as shrubs and bushes.
"The trail cut through thick brush before reaching the ridge."
verb
1
To clean, arrange, or apply something using a brush.
"Remember to brush your teeth before bed."
2
To touch something lightly while passing by.
"Her hand brushed against his as they walked."
How to Use Brush
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA bristled cleaning/grooming tool (or the act of using one), a light touch in passing, or wild shrubby vegetation.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
brush your teeth
a brush with death
clear the brush
Word Forms
brushed past tense, brushes plural, Brushes plural, brushes singular
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Etymology
From Old French broisse, ultimately from a Germanic word for bristle or thicket — the same root also gives the "shrubland" sense of brush.