Dash

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. Violent striking together of two bodies; collision; crash.

2. A sudden check; abashment; frustration; ruin; as, his hopes received a dash.

3. A slight admixture, infusion, or adulteration; a partial overspreading; as, wine with a dash of water; red with a dash of purple. Innocence when it has in it a dash of folly. Addison.

4. A rapid movement, esp. one of short duration; a quick stroke or blow; a sudden onset or rush; as, a bold dash at the enemy; a dash of rain. She takes upon her bravely at first dash. Shak.

5. Energy in style or action; animation; spirit.

6. A vain show; a blustering parade; a flourish; as, to make or cut a great dash. [Low]

7. A mark or line [--], in writing or printing, denoting a sudden break, stop, or transition in a sentence, or an abrupt change in its construction, a long or significant pause, or an unexpected or epigrammatic turn of sentiment. Dashes are also sometimes used instead of marks or parenthesis. John Wilson.

8. The sign of staccato, a small mark [.

9. The line drawn through a figure in the thorough bass, as a direction to raise the interval a semitone.

10. A short, spirited effort or trial of speed upon a race course; -- used in horse racing, when a single trial constitutes the race.

Part of speech: verb (v.)

1. To throw with violence or haste; to cause to strike violently or hastily; -- often used with against. If you dash a stone against a stone in the botton of the water, it maketh a sound. Bacon.

2. To break, as by throwing or by collision; to shatter; to crust; to frustrate; to ruin. Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Ps. ii. 9. A brave vessel, . . . Dashed all to pieces. Shak. To perplex and dash Maturest counsels. Milton.

3. To put to shame; to confound; to confuse; to abash; to depress. South. Dash the proud gamesPope.

4. To throw in or on in a rapid, careless manner; to mix, reduce, or adulterate, by throwing in something of an inferior quality; to overspread partially; to bespatter; to touch here and there; as, to dash wine with water; to dash paint upon a picture. I take care to dash the character with such particular circumstance as may prevent ill-natured applications. Addison. The very source and fount of day Is dashed with wandering isles of night. Tennyson.

5. To form or sketch rapidly or carelessly; to execute rapidly, or with careless haste; -- with off; as, to dash off a review or sermon.

6. To erase by a stroke; to strike out; knock out; -- with out; as, to dash out a word.

Part of speech: verb (v.)

To rust with violence; to move impetuously; to strike violently; as, the waves dash upon rocks. [He] dashed through thick and thin. Dryden. On each hand the gushing waters play, And down the rough cascade all dashing fall. Thomson.