Idioms for brush

    get the brush, to be rejected or rebuffed: She greeted Jim effusively, but I got the brush.
    give the brush, to ignore, rebuff, etc.: If you're still angry with him, give him the brush.

Origin of brush

1
1350–1400; (noun) Middle English brusshe, probably to be identified with brush2, if orig. sense was implement made from twigs, etc., culled from brushwood; (v.) Middle English brushen to hasten, rush, probably < Old French brosser to travel (through brush), verbal derivative of broce (see brush2)

OTHER WORDS FROM brush

brush·a·ble, adjective brush·er, noun brush·like, adjective un·brush·a·ble, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for brush up (1 of 3)

brush up

verb (adverb)

(tr often foll by on) to refresh one's knowledge, skill, or memory of (a subject)
to make (a person or oneself) tidy, clean, or neat as after a journey

noun brush-up

British the act or an instance of tidying one's appearance (esp in the phrase wash and brush-up)

British Dictionary definitions for brush up (2 of 3)

brush 1
/ (brʌʃ) /

noun

verb

Derived forms of brush

brusher, noun brushlike, adjective

Word Origin for brush

C14: from Old French broisse, perhaps from broce brush ²

British Dictionary definitions for brush up (3 of 3)

brush 2
/ (brʌʃ) /

noun

a thick growth of shrubs and small trees; scrub
land covered with scrub
broken or cut branches or twigs; brushwood
wooded sparsely populated country; backwoods

Word Origin for brush

C16 (dense undergrowth), C14 (cuttings of trees): from Old French broce, from Vulgar Latin bruscia (unattested) brushwood

Idioms and Phrases with brush up (1 of 2)

brush up

1

Clean, refurbish, as in We plan to get the house brushed up in time for the party. [c. 1600]

2

Also, brush up on. Review, refresh one's memory, as in Nell brushed up on her Spanish before going to Honduras, or I'm brushing up my knowledge of town history before I speak at the club. [Late 1700s]

Idioms and Phrases with brush up (2 of 2)

brush