dash1

[dash] /dæʃ/
verb (used with object)
1.
to strike or smash violently, especially so as to break to pieces:
He dashed the plate into smithereens against the wall.
2.
to throw or thrust violently or suddenly:
to dash one stone against another.
3.
to splash, often violently; bespatter (with water, mud, etc.):
He recovered consciousness when they dashed water in his face.
4.
to apply roughly, as by splashing:
to dash paint here and there on the wall.
5.
to mix or adulterate by adding another substance:
to dash wine with water.
6.
to ruin or frustrate (hopes, plans, etc.):
The rain dashed our hopes for a picnic.
7.
to depress; dispirit:
The failure dashed his spirits.
8.
to confound or abash:
His rejection dashed and humiliated him.
verb (used without object)
9.
to strike with violence:
The waves dashed against the cliff.
10.
to move with violence; rush:
The horses dashed out of the burning stable.
noun
11.
a small quantity of anything thrown into or mixed with something else:
a dash of salt.
12.
a hasty or sudden movement; a rush or sudden onset:
They all made a dash for the door.
13.
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.
14.
the throwing or splashing of liquid against something:
the dash of the waves against the dock.
15.
the sound of such splashing:
The dash of the waves on the beach could be heard from afar.
16.
spirited action; élan; vigor in action or style:
The dancer performed with spirit and dash.
17.
Track. a short race:
a 100-yard dash.
18.
dashboard (def 1).
19.
Telegraphy. a signal of longer duration than a dot, used in groups of dots, dashes, and spaces to represent letters, as in Morse code.
20.
a hasty stroke, especially of a pen.
21.
Archaic. a violent and rapid blow or stroke.
Verb phrases
22.
dash off,
  1. to hurry away; leave:
    I must dash off now.
  2. Also, dash down. to write, make, accomplish, etc., hastily:
    We dashed off a letter to announce the news. He dashed down a memo.
Idioms
23.
cut a dash, to make a striking impression; be ostentatious or showy.
Origin
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
10. dart, bolt. See rush1 . 11. pinch, bit; touch.

dash2

[dash] /dæʃ/
verb (used with object), Chiefly British
1.
to damn (usually used interjectionally).
Origin
1790-1800; euphemism based on d—n, printed form of damn

dash3

[dash] /dæʃ/
noun
1.
a tip, bribe, or recompense.
2.
bribery.
verb (used with object)
3.
to give a tip or bribe to (especially a government employee).
Origin
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)
Examples from the web for dash
  • But the celebrations may be short-lived as the dislocations of its dash for growth start to become painfully apparent.
  • It can only be defended with an appeal to a sense of style and taste, with a strong dash of self-deprecating humour.
  • Technology, perhaps with a dash of fantasy, amplifies that feeling.
  • Lizards can scurry across ceilings and dash across water.
  • The current model's large display in the center of the dash is one of the best features, imho.
  • Only then did he make a dash for the door as the basilica came crashing down around him.
  • The back pops off, so you can replace the battery and add a dash of color.
  • We dash in one direction salivating with greed, then turn and dash in the other in pure panic.
  • Both are populists who cut a dash on the talk-show circuit.
  • In its maddening dash through the swirling dust the machine takes on the attributes of a sentient thing.
British Dictionary definitions for dash

dash1

/dæʃ/
verb (mainly transitive)
1.
to hurl; crash: he dashed the cup to the floor, the waves dashed against the rocks
2.
to mix: white paint dashed with blue
3.
(intransitive) to move hastily or recklessly; rush: he dashed to her rescue
4.
usually foll by off or down. to write (down) or finish (off) hastily
5.
to destroy; frustrate: his hopes were dashed
6.
to daunt (someone); cast down; discourage: he was dashed by her refusal
noun
7.
a sudden quick movement; dart
8.
a small admixture: coffee with a dash of cream
9.
a violent stroke or blow
10.
the sound of splashing or smashing: the dash of the waves
11.
panache; style: he rides with dash
12.
cut a dash, See cut (sense 33)
13.
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
14.
the symbol (–) used, in combination with the symbol dot (·), in the written representation of Morse and other telegraphic codes Compare dah
15.
(athletics) another word (esp US and Canadian) for sprint
16.
(informal) short for dashboard
Word Origin
Middle English dasche, dasse

dash2

/dæʃ/
interjection
1.
(informal) a euphemistic word for damn (sense 1), damn (sense 2)

dash3

/dæʃ/
noun
1.
a gift, commission, tip, or bribe
verb
2.
to give (a dash) to someone
Word Origin
C16: perhaps from Fanti
Word Origin and History for dash
v.

c.1300, probably from a Scandinavian source (cf. Swedish daska, Danish daske "to beat, strike"), somehow imitative. The oldest sense is that in dash to pieces and dashed hopes. Intransitive meaning "move quickly" appeared c.1300, that of "to write hurriedly" is 1726. Related: Dashed; dashing.

n.

late 14c., from dash (v.). Sporting sense is from 1881, originally "race run in one heat."

dash in Culture

dash definition


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.

Slang definitions & phrases for dash

dash

noun

The dashboard of a car or other vehicle: I keep a gun under the dash (1867+)

Related Terms

slapdash


Related Abbreviations for dash

DASH

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension