Part 183

Spenser.

Flashed glass. See Flashing, n., 3.

Flash, n.; pl. Flashes (&?;). 1. A sudden burst of light; a flood of light instantaneously appearing and disappearing; a momentary blaze; as, a flash of lightning.

2. A sudden and brilliant burst, as of wit or genius; a momentary brightness or show.

The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind.

Shak.

No striking sentiment, no flash of fancy.

Wirt.

3. The time during which a flash is visible; an instant; a very brief period.

The Persians and Macedonians had it for a flash.

Bacon.

4. A preparation of capsicum, burnt sugar, etc., for coloring and giving a fictitious strength to liquors.

Flash light, or Flashing light, a kind of light shown by lighthouses, produced by the revolution of reflectors, so as to show a flash of light every few seconds, alternating with periods of dimness. Knight. -- Flash in the pan, the flashing of the priming in the pan of a flintlock musket without discharging the piece; hence, sudden, spasmodic effort that accomplishes nothing.

Flash, a. 1. Showy, but counterfeit; cheap, pretentious, and vulgar; as, flash jewelry; flash finery.

2. Wearing showy, counterfeit ornaments; vulgarly pretentious; as, flash people; flash men or women; -- applied especially to thieves, gamblers, and prostitutes that dress in a showy way and wear much cheap jewelry.

Flash house, a house frequented by flash people, as thieves and whores; hence, a brothel. "A gang of footpads, reveling with their favorite beauties at a flash house." Macaulay.

Flash, n. Slang or cant of thieves and prostitutes.

Flash, n. [OE. flasche, flaske; cf. OF. flache, F. flaque.] 1. A pool. [Prov. Eng.] Haliwell.

2. (Engineering) A reservoir and sluiceway beside a navigable stream, just above a shoal, so that the stream may pour in water as boats pass, and thus bear them over the shoal.

Flash wheel (Mech.), a paddle wheel made to revolve in a breast or curved water way, by which water is lifted from the lower to the higher level.

Flash"board` (?), n. A board placed temporarily upon a milldam, to raise the water in the pond above its usual level; a flushboard. [U.S.]

Flash"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, flashes.

2. A man of more appearance of wit than reality.

3. (Zoˆl.) (a) A large sparoid fish of the Atlantic coast and all tropical seas (Lobotes Surinamensis). (b) The European red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio); -- called also flusher.

Flash"i*ly (?), adv. In a flashy manner; with empty show.

Flash"i*ness, n. The quality of being flashy.

Flash"ing, n. 1. (Engineering) The creation of an artifical flood by the sudden letting in of a body of water; -- called also flushing.

2. (Arch.) Pieces of metal, built into the joints of a wall, so as to lap over the edge of the gutters or to cover the edge of the roofing; also, similar pieces used to cover the valleys of roofs of slate, shingles, or the like. By extension, the metal covering of ridges and hips of roofs; also, in the United States, the protecting of angles and breaks in walls of frame houses with waterproof material, tarred paper, or the like. Cf. Filleting.