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Definition of brush verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

brush

verb
 
/brʌʃ/
 
/brʌʃ/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they brush
 
/brʌʃ/
 
/brʌʃ/
he / she / it brushes
 
/ˈbrʌʃɪz/
 
/ˈbrʌʃɪz/
past simple brushed
 
/brʌʃt/
 
/brʌʃt/
past participle brushed
 
/brʌʃt/
 
/brʌʃt/
-ing form brushing
 
/ˈbrʌʃɪŋ/
 
/ˈbrʌʃɪŋ/
Phrasal Verbs
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  1. [transitive] to clean, polish or make something smooth with a brush
    • brush something to brush your hair/teeth
    • to brush your shoes
    • brush something + adj. A tiled floor is easy to brush clean.
    Topics Appearancea2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • carefully
    • quickly
    • slowly
    preposition
    • at
    phrases
    • brush something clean
    See full entry
  2. [transitive, intransitive] to remove or try to remove something from a place or surface with a brush or with your hand
    • brush something + adv./prep. I brushed the dirt off my jacket.
    • He pulled out a handkerchief and brushed away the tears.
    • Gail brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.
    • She brushed the fly away.
    • brush + adv./prep. Lucille brushed at the blood on his jacket.
    Extra Examples
    • He brushed the mud from his coat.
    • She brushed away her tears.
    • Her hair was brushed back in a pony tail.
    • She brushed her hair out of her eyes.
    • I brushed the crumbs off the table.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • carefully
    • quickly
    • slowly
    preposition
    • at
    phrases
    • brush something clean
    See full entry
  3. [transitive] to put something, for example oil, milk or egg, on something using a brush
    • brush A with B Brush the pastry with beaten egg.
    • brush B over, on, etc. A Brush beaten egg over the pastry.
  4. [intransitive, transitive] to touch somebody/something lightly while moving close to them/it
    • brush by/past somebody/something She brushed past him.
    • brush against somebody/something His hand accidentally brushed against hers.
    • brush something The leaves brushed her cheek.
    • brush something with something He brushed her lips with his.
    Extra Examples
    • I hardly noticed the man who brushed past me in the corridor.
    • She brushed by him and dashed up the stairs.
    • She carefully avoided brushing against the man sitting beside her at the table.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • gently
    • lightly
    • softly
    preposition
    • against
    • by
    • past
    See full entry
  5. Word Originverb Middle English: noun from Old French broisse; verb partly from Old French brosser ‘to sweep’.
See brush in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
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adjective
 
 
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