flash
part of speech
noun (a flash, flashes); verb (flash, flashes, flashed, flashing); adjective (flash = showy, informal)
meaning for a pupil
1) A flash is a quick bright light. tree →
2) To flash is to shine for a very short moment, or to shine on and off. tree →
3) In a flash means very quickly. tree →
4) A flash on a camera is a bright light for taking photos in the dark. tree →
5) To flash by is to move past very fast. tree →
6) To flash into someone's mind means to occur to them suddenly. tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: In Exodus it is fire flaring up in the plague of hail. In Sefer Yetzirah it describes how the Ten Sefirot appear. Interpretation: In the Sefer Yetzirah the Sefirot are said to look like a lightning flash, with no seen beginning or end. Kabbalists read this as a picture of divine force darting between the unseen source and the world. In the primary lessons: a light that flashes again and again: every few seconds, how many times in a minute; in science: lightning is a giant flash, and you see the flash before you hear the thunder; in safety: flashing lights on police cars and crossings mean take care; phrases: «in a flash», «a flash of lightning», «flash flood», «flashlight» (US for torch)
examples
- So there was hail, and fire flashing up amidst the hail, very grievous, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. (Torah EXO.9.24, JPS 1917) tree →
- Many Kabalists have shown how the Ten Sephiruth are symbolized by the zig-zag lightning flash. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
- The Ten ineffable Sephiroth have the appearance of the Lightning flash", their origin is unseen and no end is perceived. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
- His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. (Writings JOB.41.10, JPS 1917) tree →
- And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. (Prophets EZK.1.14, JPS 1917) tree →
- That causeth destruction to flash upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress. (Prophets AMO.5.9, JPS 1917) tree →
- The light flashes every 5 seconds. tree →
- A red lamp flashes 3 times a minute. tree →
- Two lights flash together at 8 seconds. tree →
- How many flashes in a minute? tree →
- A flash of lightning lit up the sky. tree →
- Count the seconds between the flash and the thunder. tree →
- The rabbit was gone in a flash. tree →
- The ambulance came with its lights flashing. tree →
- Please turn off the flash in the museum. tree →
- A car flashed past the window. tree →
- Instantly the truth flashed upon him. tree →
note
Repeated events: count = time ÷ gap (plus one if you count the first at the start). Two lights flash together again after a common multiple. Plural: flashes. Science: light is faster than sound, so the flash comes first; about 3 seconds of gap means the storm is about 1 km away. Safety: a flash flood comes very fast, so move to high ground.
In the corpora
- And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
- That causeth destruction to flash upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress.
- His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
- A siren and flashing blue lights mean police are rushing to an emergency, and other drivers must pull over to let them through.
- Bright camera flashes over years can fade delicate colours and annoy visitors; many museums allow photos without flash.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «flash» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.