dash

[ dash ]

/ dæʃ /

verb (used with object)

to strike or smash violently, especially so as to break to pieces: He dashed the plate into smithereens against the wall.

to throw or thrust violently or suddenly: to dash one stone against another.

to splash, often violently; bespatter (with water, mud, etc.): He recovered consciousness when they dashed water in his face.

to apply roughly, as by splashing: to dash paint here and there on the wall.

to mix or adulterate by adding another substance: to dash wine with water.

to ruin or frustrate (hopes, plans, etc.): The rain dashed our hopes for a picnic.

to depress; dispirit: The failure dashed his spirits.

to confound or abash: His rejection dashed and humiliated him.

verb (used without object)

to strike with violence: The waves dashed against the cliff.

to move with violence; rush: The horses dashed out of the burning stable.

noun

a small quantity of anything thrown into or mixed with something else: a dash of salt.

a hasty or sudden movement; a rush or sudden onset: They all made a dash for the door.

the mark or sign (—) used to note an abrupt break or pause in a sentence or hesitation in an utterance, to begin and end a parenthetic word, phrase, or clause, to indicate the omission of letters or words, to divide a line, to substitute for certain uses of the colon, and to separate any of various elements of a sentence or series of sentences, as a question from its answer.

the throwing or splashing of liquid against something: the dash of the waves against the dock.

the sound of such splashing: The dash of the waves on the beach could be heard from afar.

spirited action; élan; vigor in action or style: The dancer performed with spirit and dash.

Track. a short race: a 100-yard dash.

dashboard(def 1).

Telegraphy. a signal of longer duration than a dot, used in groups of dots, dashes, and spaces to represent letters, as in Morse code.

a hasty stroke, especially of a pen.

Archaic. a violent and rapid blow or stroke.

Verb Phrases

dash off,

to hurry away; leave: I must dash off now.
Also dash down. to write, make, accomplish, etc., hastily: We dashed off a letter to announce the news. He dashed down a memo.

Idioms for dash

cut a dash, to make a striking impression; be ostentatious or showy.

Origin of dash

1250–1300; (v.) Middle English dasshen, perhaps < Old Norse; compare Danish daske slap, flap, Swedish daska; (noun) Middle English: blow, clash, derivative of the v.

SYNONYMS FOR dash

10 dart, bolt. See rush¹.

11 pinch, bit; touch.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR dash ON THESAURUS.COM

Words nearby dash

darío, das, das kapital, dasd, dasehra, dash, dash light, dash off, dash someone's hopes, dashboard, dashcam

Definition for dash (2 of 3)

dash ²

[ dash ]

/ dæʃ /

verb (used with object) Chiefly British.

to damn (usually used as an interjection).

Origin of dash

1790–1800; euphemism based on d—n, printed form of damn

Definition for dash (3 of 3)

dash ³

[ dash ]

/ dæʃ /

(in West Africa)

noun

a tip, bribe, or recompense.

bribery.

verb (used with object)

to give a tip or bribe to (especially a government employee).

Origin of dash

1780–1790; perhaps first recorded in Dutch as dache, dasche (1602); origin uncertain, but often alleged to be < Portuguese das (you) give (2nd singular present indicative of dar to give)

Example sentences from the Web for dash

Family crests and nicknames are stitched into headrests, colors are specified for seat stitching, veneers are chosen for the dash.

Behind the Wheel of the Bespoke Bentley |Zoe Settle |October 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Local and foreign fashionistas will fill the front rows at the very last minute and dash out when the music is still on.

Who to See and Where to be Seen: The Hot Tips for New York Fashion Week |Barbara Ragghianti |September 3, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In 2010, Dash filed for divorce from her husband, Emmanuel Xuereb, alleging years of abuse.

‘Clueless’: How the Greatest Clique of the ‘90s Transformed Into A Shakespearean Tragedy |Marlow Stern |May 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Xuereb was ordered to stay 100 yards away from Dash and her two children (neither of whom are his).

‘Clueless’: How the Greatest Clique of the ‘90s Transformed Into A Shakespearean Tragedy |Marlow Stern |May 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

He sloshes motor oil over himself, the front seat, and the dash to conceal clues and leaves the car at Cortland Line Company.

The Stacks: The Searing Story of How Murder Stalked a Tiny New York Town |E. Jean Carroll |April 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
For the life of me, don't give me a cup of cold water to taste, and then dash it from my lips.

Light O' The Morning |L. T. Meade
I've kept my temper as long as I could; but, dash it all, if you force me to speak out, I will!

Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 104, February 25, 1893 |Various
There was a dash of bitterness in this, which was a rare ingredient in Mara's conversation.

The Pearl of Orr's Island |Harriet Beecher Stowe
Men behold their boon companions fall, yet onward they dash with closed ranks, themselves the next victims.

Incidents of the War: Humorous, Pathetic, and Descriptive |Alf Burnett
I suppose a blank or a dash rather fends a good many people off—because it always has that effect upon me.

The Letters of Charles Dickens |Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for dash (1 of 3)

dash ¹

/ (dæʃ) /

verb (mainly tr)

to hurl; crash he dashed the cup to the floor; the waves dashed against the rocks

to mix white paint dashed with blue

(intr) to move hastily or recklessly; rush he dashed to her rescue

(usually foll by off or down) to write (down) or finish (off) hastily

to destroy; frustrate his hopes were dashed

to daunt (someone); cast down; discourage he was dashed by her refusal

noun

a sudden quick movement; dart

a small admixture coffee with a dash of cream

a violent stroke or blow

the sound of splashing or smashing the dash of the waves

panache; style he rides with dash

cut a dash See cut (def. 33)

the punctuation mark —, used singly in place of a colon, esp to indicate a sudden change of subject or grammatical anacoluthon, or in pairs to enclose a parenthetical remark

the symbol (–) used, in combination with the symbol dot (·), in the written representation of Morse and other telegraphic codes Compare dah

athletics another word (esp US and Canadian) for sprint

informal short for dashboard

Word Origin for dash

Middle English dasche, dasse

British Dictionary definitions for dash (2 of 3)

dash ²

/ (dæʃ) /

interjection

informal a euphemistic word for damn (def. 1), damn (def. 2)

British Dictionary definitions for dash (3 of 3)

dash ³

/ (dæʃ) Western African /

noun

a gift, commission, tip, or bribe

verb

to give (a dash) to someone

Word Origin for dash

C16: perhaps from Fanti

Cultural definitions for dash

dash

A punctuation mark (—) used to indicate a sudden break in thought, to set off parenthetical material, or to take the place of such expressions as that is and namely: “He's running for reelection — if he lives until then”; “Very few people in this class — three, to be exact — have completed their projects”; “She joined the chorus for only one reason — she loves to sing.” In the last example, where the parenthetical material comes at the end of the sentence rather than in the middle, a colon could be used instead of the dash.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

dash

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Verb Phrases

Idioms for dash

Origin of dash

SYNONYMS FOR dash

Words nearby dash

Definition for dash (2 of 3)

verb (used with object) Chiefly British.

Origin of dash

Definition for dash (3 of 3)

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of dash

Example sentences from the Web for dash

British Dictionary definitions for dash (1 of 3)

verb (mainly tr)

noun

Word Origin for dash

British Dictionary definitions for dash (2 of 3)

interjection

British Dictionary definitions for dash (3 of 3)

noun

verb

Word Origin for dash

Cultural definitions for dash

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

dash

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Verb Phrases

Idioms for dash

Origin of dash

SYNONYMS FOR dash

Words nearby dash

Definition for dash (2 of 3)

verb (used with object) Chiefly British.

Origin of dash

Definition for dash (3 of 3)

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of dash

Words related to dash

Example sentences from the Web for dash

British Dictionary definitions for dash (1 of 3)

verb (mainly tr)

noun

Word Origin for dash

British Dictionary definitions for dash (2 of 3)

interjection

British Dictionary definitions for dash (3 of 3)

noun

verb

Word Origin for dash

Cultural definitions for dash