Dash | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

Dăsh, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. DASHED (däsht); p. pr. & vb. n. DASHING.] [Dan. daske, Sw. & Icel. daska, to beat, strike, Dan. & Sw. dask, blow.] 1. To throw with violence or haste; to cause to strike violently or hastily.

If you dash a stone against a stone in the bottom of the water, it maketh a sound. Bacon.

Sense 2. To break, as by throwing or by collision; to shatter; to frustrate; to ruin; as, to dash schemes or hopes.

A brave vessel, Who had, no doubt, some noble creatures in her, Dashed all to pieces. Shak.

To perplex and dash Maturest counsels. Milton.

Sense 3. To put to shame; to confound; to abash; to depress.

Dash the proud gamester in his gilded car. Pope.

Sense 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 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 circumstances as may prevent ill-natured applications. Addison.

The very source and fount of day Is dashed with wandering isles of night. Tennyson.

Sense 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.

Sense 6. To erase by a stroke; to strike out; to blot out or obliterate;—with out; as, to dash out a word in correcting a manuscript for the press.

Dăsh, v. i.

verbintransitive

v. i. To rush with violence; to strike violently; to come in collision.

Dog . . . dashed through thick and thin. Dryden.

On each hand the gushing waters play. And down the rough cascade all dashing fall. Thomson,

Dăsh, n.

noun

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

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

Sense 3. An 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.

Sense 4. A rapid movement; a quick stroke or blow; a sudden onset; as, a bold dash at the enemy; a dash of rain.

She takes upon her bravely at first dash. Shak.

Sense 5. Capacity or readiness for quick, bold movements against an enemy; as, an officer remarkable for dash.

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

Sense 7. (Punctuation.) A mark or line, thus [—], 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 of parenthesis. Wilson.

Sense 8. (Mus.) (a.) A small mark [˘] denoting that the note over which it is placed is to be performed in a short, distinct manner. (b.) The line drawn through a figure in the thorough-bass, as a direction to raise that figure half a tone higher. Moore.