brush

A2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /brʌʃ/ UK /bɹʌʃ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like blush /l/ vs /r/

Freq #4012

Meanings

1

verb
To clean, tidy, or smooth something using a brush

Remember to brush your teeth before bed.
2

verb
To touch something lightly and quickly as you pass

Her hand brushed his arm as she walked by.
3

verb
To remove something using a brush or a sweeping movement of the hand

He brushed the crumbs off the table.
4

noun
A short, slightly worrying experience of something dangerous

He had a brush with death when his car skidded off the road.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Multiword verbs with brush

brush aside Phrasal verb A2

to dismiss something without giving it proper attention or consideration
brush off Phrasal verb A2

to reject or dismiss a person or concern with little consideration

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 verb · to remove something using a... sweep

Word family

Forms brushedbrushesbrushing

Derived forms air-brushairbrushbadgerbrushbath-brushbeebrushbitterbrushbottlebrushbroad-brushbrush-downbrush-firebrush-makingbrush-off

Related forms broom comb

Appears in

Phrases (3)

See all

Simplified etymology

Brush came into Middle English from French. Its senses referring to a sweeping implement and to brushwood probably arose from the same French word, though the history is uncertain.

Etymology

From Middle English brusshe, from Old French broisse (Modern French brosse), from Vulgar Latin *brustia, from Frankish *bursti, from Proto-Germanic *burstiz (“bristle”), or also Vulgar Latin *bruscia, from Proto-Germanic *bruskaz (“tuft, thicket, underbrush”), which could be from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrusgo-.

brusshe Middle English broisse Old French *brustia la-vul *bursti frk *burstiz Proto-Germanic *bruscia la-vul *bruskaz Proto-Germanic *bʰrusgo- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# brush

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /brʌʃ/
**IPA (UK):** /bɹʌʃ/
**Frequency rank:** 4012

## Meanings
1. To clean, tidy, or smooth something using a brush
2. To touch something lightly and quickly as you pass
3. To remove something using a brush or a sweeping movement of the hand
4. A short, slightly worrying experience of something dangerous

## Examples
- Remember to brush your teeth before bed.
- Her hand brushed his arm as she walked by.
- He brushed the crumbs off the table.
- He had a brush with death when his car skidded off the road.

## Derived Forms
- air-brush
- airbrush
- badgerbrush
- bath-brush
- beebrush
- bitterbrush
- bottlebrush
- broad-brush
- brush-down
- brush-fire
- brush-making
- brush-off

## Related Forms
- broom
- comb

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: brusshe
- Root: broisse
- Root: *brustia
- Root: *bursti
- Root: *burstiz
- Root: *bruscia
- Root: *bruskaz
- Root: *bʰrusgo-

## Etymology
From Middle English brusshe, from Old French broisse (Modern French brosse), from Vulgar Latin *brustia, from Frankish *bursti, from Proto-Germanic *burstiz (“bristle”), or also Vulgar Latin *bruscia, from Proto-Germanic *bruskaz (“tuft, thicket, underbrush”), which could be from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrusgo-.

## AI Etymology
Brush comes from Middle English brusshe, from Old French broisse (Modern French brosse), from Vulgar Latin *brustia, from Frankish *bursti, from Proto-Germanic *burstiz (“bristle”), or also Vulgar Latin *bruscia, from Proto-Germanic *bruskaz (“tuft, thicket, underbrush”), which could be from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrusgo-.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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