brush

Everyday

1. A tool with many bristles on a handle, used for cleaning, painting or tidying hair: toothbrush, paintbrush, hairbrush. tree →
2. Verb: to clean or tidy with a brush: brush your teeth, brush your hair. tree →
3. Verb: to touch lightly while passing: «Her hand brushed mine». tree →
4. Noun: low bushes and small trees (brush, scrub). tree →
5. Brush up on: to practise something again. tree →

In the lessons

In hygiene: brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste, and brush your hair; brush your dog. In art: paintbrushes. In Australian and US safety: brush fires (bushfires) in dry land. Phrases: brush your teeth, brush your hair, paintbrush, toothbrush, hairbrush, brush off, brush up on, a brush with danger, brush fire.

Examples

• Brush your teeth twice a day. tree →
• Brush your hair before school. tree →
• Get a clean paintbrush for the blue paint. tree →
• Change your toothbrush every three months. tree →
• A leaf brushed my face. tree →
• I need to brush up on my times tables. tree →
• The cat loves being brushed. tree →
• Firefighters put out the brush fire. tree →
• ‘Brush me, girl!’ said the head. tree →

Note

Countable noun: brushes (add -es). Regular verb: brushed. You «brush» teeth, not «wash» them. In maths: «2 minutes, twice a day» = 4 minutes a day = 28 minutes a week.

In Jewish tradition

Here "brush-wood" means dry twigs and small branches that catch fire easily.

Interpretation. The prophet prays that God would appear so mightily that the nations tremble, like fire sweeping through dry brush. It is a picture of God's power made known to the world.

Examples

• As when fire kindleth the brush-wood, and the fire causeth the waters to boil; to make Thy name known to Thine adversaries, that the nations might tremble at Thy presence, (Prophets ISA.64.1, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Countable noun: brushes (add -es). Regular verb: brushed. You «brush» teeth, not «wash» them. In maths: «2 minutes, twice a day» = 4 minutes a day = 28 minutes a week.