dash
/ˈdæʃ/ noun, verb, interjection, proper noun
- noun (typography) Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).
- noun (computing) A hyphen or minus sign.
- noun (by extension) The longer of the two symbols of Morse code.
- noun A short run, flight. “When the feds came they did the dash.”
- noun A rushing or violent onset.
- noun Violent strike; a whack.
- noun A small quantity of a liquid substance etc.; less than 1/8 of a teaspoon. “Add a dash of vinegar.”
- noun (figurative, by extension) A slight admixture. “There is a dash of craziness in his personality.”
- verb (intransitive) To run quickly or for a short distance. “He dashed across the field.”
- verb (intransitive, informal) To leave or depart. “I have to dash now. See you soon.”
- verb (transitive) To destroy by striking (against). “He dashed the bottle against the bar and turned about to fight.”
- verb (transitive) To throw violently. “The man was dashed from the vehicle during the accident.”
- verb (ambitransitive, sometimes figurative) To sprinkle; to splatter.
- verb (transitive, dated) To mix, reduce, or adulterate, by throwing in something of an inferior quality. “to dash wine with water”
- verb (transitive, of hopes or dreams) To ruin; to destroy. “Her hopes were dashed when she saw the damage.”
- verb (transitive) To dishearten; to sadden. “Her thoughts were dashed to melancholy.”
- interjection (euphemistic) Damn!
- proper noun A topographic surname.
- proper noun (rare) A male given name transferred from the surname.
Synonyms
rush sprint spurt surge thrust blow knock thwack drop skoosh soupçon ace atom thought atomy aught bissel continental bit crumb elan flair panache style hyphen dah bolt dart scoot scud
Etymology
From Middle English daschen, dassen, from Danish daske (“to slap, strike”), related to Swedish daska (“to smack, slap, spank”), of obscure origin. Compare German tatschen (“to grope, paw”), Old English dwǣsċan (“to quell, put out, destroy, extinguish”). See also dush.
From Old French de + Old English æsċ "(residing) near an ash tree".
Webster’s 1913
- verb To throw with violence or haste; to cause to strike violently or hastily; --often used with against.
- verb To break, as by throwing or by collision; to shatter; to crust; to frustrate; to ruin.
- verb To rust with violence; to move impetuously; to strike violently; as, the waves dash upon rocks.
- noun Violent striking together of two bodies; collision; crash.
Etymology [Of. Scand. origin; cf. Dan daske to beat, strike, Sw. & Icel. daska, Dan. & Sw. dask blow.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “dash”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details