The word "brush" functions as a noun for a tool with bristles used for cleaning, painting, or tidying hair. As a verb, it means to clean or tidy with a brush, apply liquids with a brush, remove something with hand movements, or lightly touch while passing. It can also denote a brief, often negative, encounter or a small argument, and an area covered in bushes.
The word "brush" can be used as a noun referring to a tool with bristles for cleaning or painting, or as a verb meaning to clean or tidy something with a brush. It also means to apply a liquid with a brush, to remove something with light movements of the hand, or to touch something or someone lightly while passing. Additionally, "brush" can refer to a brief, often unpleasant, encounter or a small conflict, as well as an area of land covered with bushes and trees.
[N-COUNT 可数名词]刷子；毛刷 A brush is an object which has a large number of bristles or hairs fixed to it. You use brushes for painting, for cleaning things, and for tidying your hair.
We gave him paint and brushes...
我们给了他油漆和几把刷子。
Stains are removed with buckets of soapy water and scrubbing brushes.
污渍是用几桶肥皂水和几把硬毛刷除去的。
...a hair brush.
一把发梳
2
[VERB 动词]（用刷子）刷 If you brush something or brush something such as dirt off it, you clean it or tidy it using a brush.
[V n]
[V n prep]
[V n with adv]
[a N]
Have you brushed your teeth?...
你刷牙了吗？
She brushed the powder out of her hair...
她把头发上的粉末刷掉了。
Using a small brush, he brushed away the fine sawdust.
他用一把小刷子刷掉细锯末。
Brush is also a noun.
I gave it a quick brush with my hairbrush.
我用我的梳子把它迅速梳了一下。
3
[VERB 动词]用刷子在…上涂（或抹） If you brush something with a liquid, you apply a layer of that liquid using a brush.
[V n with n]
Take a sheet of filo pastry and brush it with melted butter.
取一张擀得很薄的油酥面皮，上面刷上一层熔化的牛油。
4
[VERB 动词]拭；拂；擦 If you brush something somewhere, you remove it with quick light movements of your hands.
[V n with adv]
[V n prep]
He brushed his hair back with both hands...
他用两手把头发往后捋。
She brushed away tears as she spoke of him...
谈到他时，她拭去了脸上的泪水。
He brushed the snow off the windshield.
他刮掉了挡风玻璃上的雪。
5
[V-ERG 及物/不及物动词]擦过；掠过 If one thing brushes against another or if you brush one thing against another, the first thing touches the second thing lightly while passing it.
[V prep]
[V n]
[V n prep]
Something brushed against her leg...
有什么东西扫了一下她的腿。
I felt her dark brown hair brushing the back of my shoulder...
我感觉到她深褐色的头发拂过我的肩。
She knelt and brushed her lips softly across Michael's cheek.
她跪了下来，轻吻迈克尔的脸颊。
6
[VERB 动词]（从…身边）擦过，掠过 If you brush past someone or brush by them, you almost touch them as you go past them.
[V prep/adv]
[WRITTEN 笔语]
My father would burst into the kitchen, brushing past my mother...
我父亲会紧贴着母亲擦身而过，冲进厨房。
He brushed by with a perfunctory wave to the crowd.
他擦身而过，朝人群敷衍地挥了挥手。
7
[N-COUNT 可数名词]小冲突；小争论；小摩擦 If you have a brush with someone, you have an argument or disagreement with them. You use brush when you want to make an argument or disagreement sound less serious than it really is.
[usu N with n]
[vagueness]
My first brush with a headmaster came six years ago...
我跟校长的第一次冲突发生在6年前。
It is his third brush with the law in less than a year.
这已是他在不到一年的时间里第三次触犯法律了。
8
[N-COUNT 可数名词]触及；碰到；险些遭遇 If you have a brush with a particular situation, usually an unpleasant one, you almost experience it.
[N with n]
...the trauma of a brush with death...
和死神擦肩而过的心灵创伤
The corporation is fighting to survive its second brush with bankruptcy.
公司正在努力摆脱自身遭遇的第二次破产危机。
9
[N-UNCOUNT 不可数名词]灌木区；灌木丛Brush is an area of rough open land covered with small bushes and trees. You also use brush to refer to the bushes and trees on this land.
...the brush fire that destroyed nearly 500 acres.
焚毁了近500亩灌木丛的大火
...a meadow of low brush and grass.
长有低矮灌木和草的牧场
10
See also:
broad-brush
；
nail brush
；
11
tarred with the same brush→see:
tar
；
相关词组：
brush aside
brush off
brush up
Oxford
brush★/brʌʃ; NAmEbrʌʃ/
noun
,
verb
brushbrushesbrushedbrushingnoun★1★[countable ]an object made of short stiff hairs (called
bristles
) or wires set in a block of wood or plastic, usually attached to a handle. Brushesare used for many different jobs, such as cleaning, painting and tidying your hair. 刷子；毛刷；画笔◆a paintbrush画笔◆a hairbrush发刷◆a toothbrush牙刷◆brush strokes (= the marks left by a brush when painting)画笔的笔触◆a dustpan and brush簸箕和刷子◆Apply the paint with a fine brush.用细画笔涂颜料。2[singular ]an act of brushing 刷◆to give your teeth a good brush好好刷一刷牙3[singular ]a light touch made in passing sth/sb 轻擦；掠过◆the brush of his lips on her cheek他的嘴唇在她脸上的轻轻一碰4[countable ]brushwith sb/sth a short unfriendly meeting with sb; an occasion when you nearly experience sth unpleasant 小冲突；稍有不快的场合◆She had a nasty brush with her boss this morning.她今天早晨和老板闹得挺别扭的。◆In his job he's had frequent brushes with death.他在工作中常常与死神擦肩而过。◆a brush with the law轻微的触犯法律5[uncountable ]land covered by small trees or bushes 灌木丛◆a brush fire灌木丛火6[countable ]the tail of a fox狐狸尾巴IDIOMsee
daft
adj.,
paint
v.,
tar
v.verb★1★[transitive ]to clean, polish, or make smooth with a brush （用刷子）刷净，刷亮，刷平顺brushsth ◆to brush your hair/teeth/shoes刷头发╱牙╱鞋brushsth + adj. ◆A tiled floor is easy to brush clean.瓷砖地板容易打扫干净。2[transitive ]to put sth, for example oil, milk or egg, on sth using a brush （用刷子）抹，涂brushA with B ◆Brush the pastry with beaten egg.用刷子把打匀的鸡蛋抹在油酥面团上。brushB over A ◆Brush beaten egg over the pastry.用刷子把打匀的鸡蛋抹在油酥面团上。3★[transitive ]brushsth + adv./prep. to remove sth from a surface with a brush or with your hand （用刷子或手）拂，掸，擦掉◆He brushed the dirt off his jacket.他拂掉衣服上的灰尘。◆She brushed the fly away.她挥手赶走了苍蝇。4[intransitive , transitive ]to touch sb/sth lightly while moving close to them/it 轻擦，掠过（某人╱某物）brushagainst/by/past sb/sth ◆She brushed past him.她和他擦肩而过。◆His hand accidentally brushed against hers.他的手无意之中碰了一下她的手。brushsth ◆The leaves brushed her cheek.叶子轻拂着她的面颊。brushsth with sth ◆He brushed her lips with his.他轻轻地吻了一下她的嘴唇。PHRASAL VERBSˌbrush sb/sth↔aˈsideto ignore sb/sth; to treat sb/sth as unimportant 不理会某人╱某物；漠视SYN
dismiss
◆He brushed aside my fears.他不理会我的恐惧。ˌbrush sb/yourself ˈdown( BrE) = brush sb/yourself offˌbrush sth↔ˈdownto clean sth by brushing it 刷干净◆to brush a coat/horse down把外套╱马刷干净ˌbrush ˈoffto be removed by brushing被刷掉；被拂去◆Mud brushes off easily when it is dry.泥巴干了容易刷掉。ˌbrush sb↔ˈoffto rudely ignore sb or refuse to listen to them 不理睬某人；打发◆She brushed him off impatiently.她不耐烦地把他打发走了。☞related noun
brush-off
ˌbrush sb/yourself ˈoff(BrEˌbrush sb/yourself ˈdown)to make sb/yourself tidy, especially after you have fallen, by brushing your clothes, etc. with your hands 掸净某人╱自己，拂去衣服上的灰尘（尤指跌倒后）ˌbrush sth↔ˈup | ˌbrush ˈup on sthto quickly improve a skill, especially when you have not used it for a time 奋起直追（重温生疏了的技术等）◆I must brush up on my Spanish before I go to Seville.我去塞维利亚之前一定得好好温习我的西班牙语。brush/brʌʃ; NAmEbrʌʃ/
LDC
brush1 noun
brush2 verb
brushbrush1 /brʌʃ/ ●●●S3 noun
Entry menu
Word Origin
Examples
word sets
Collocations
Phrases
1object for cleaning/painting [countable] an object that you use for cleaning, painting, making your hair tidy etc, made with a lot of hairs,bristles, or thin pieces of plastic, fastened to a handle → broom: a scrubbing brush →
hairbrush
, nailbrush
, paintbrush
, toothbrush
2trees [uncountable]a)small bushes and trees that cover an area of landb)branches that have broken off bushes and trees3movement [singular] a movement in which you brush something to remove dirt, make something smooth, tidy etc: I’ll just give my hair a quick brush.4touch [singular] a quick light touch, made by chance when two things or people pass each other: the brush of her silk dress as she walked past5[countable] a time when you only just avoid an unpleasant situation or argumentbrush with His first brush with the law came when he was 16. A brush with death can make you appreciate life more.6tail [countable] the tail of a fox
brush1 noun
brush2 verb
brushbrush2 ●●●S3 verb
Entry menu
Verb Table
Examples
Thesaurus
Collocations
Phrases
1clean/make tidy [transitive] to clean something or make something smooth and tidy using a brush → sweep: Don’t forget to brush your teeth.2remove [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to remove something with a brush or with your handbrush something off/from etc something Ella brushed the crumbs off her jacket. He brushed the tears from his eyes.3touch lightly [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] to touch someone or something lightly when passing them: Something brushed her shoulders.brush against I felt her hair brush against my arm.brush past Nell brushed past him in the doorway.4put something on something [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to put a liquid onto something using a brushbrush something with something Brush the pastry with milk.brush something over/onto something Brush a little oil over the top of the pizza. → brush something under the carpet
at sweep1(15)
brush aside phrasal verbto refuse to listen to someone, or refuse to consider somethingSYN dismiss: He simply brushed all my objections aside.brush down phrasal verb1to clean something using a brush: He was brushing the pony down.2brush yourself down to use your hands to remove dirt from your clothes, especially after you have fallenbrush off phrasal verbto refuse to listen to someone or their ideas, especially by ignoring them or saying something rude: Corman brushed off the accusations. →
brush-off
brush up (on) phrasal verbto practise and improve your skills or your knowledge of something that you learned in the past: I must brush up on my French before I go to Paris.