flush¹ (flŭsh)

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[Probably from flush³, to dart out.]

verb: flushed, flush·ing, flush·es. 

intransitive verb 

1. To turn red, as from fever, embarrassment, or strong emotion; blush.
2. To glow, especially with a reddish color: The sky flushed pink at dawn.
3. To flow suddenly and abundantly, as from containment; flood.
4. To be emptied or cleaned by a rapid flow of water, as a toilet.

transitive verb 

1. To cause to redden or glow.
2. To excite or elate: The team was flushed with the success of victory.
3. 1. To clean, rinse, or empty with a rapid flow of a liquid, especially water: flush a toilet; flush a wound with iodine.
   2. To remove or eliminate by or as if by flushing: “The weakness in demand and productivity will at least … flush out some of the inflation premium that has been built into interest rates” (Fortune)

noun 

1. 1. A flooding flow or rush, as of water.
   2. The act of cleaning or rinsing by or as if by flushing.
2. A blush or glow: “here and there a flush of red on the lip of a little cloud” (Willa Cather)
3. 1. A reddening of the skin, as with fever, emotion, or exertion.
   2. A brief sensation of heat over all or part of the body.
4. A rush of strong feeling: a flush of pride.
5. A state of freshness or vigor. See synonyms at bloom¹

adjective: flush·er, flush·est. 

1. Having a healthy reddish color; flushed.
2. Having an abundant supply of money; affluent. See synonyms at rich
3. Marked by abundance; plentiful: flush times resulting from the oil boom.
4. Swelling; overflowing: rivers flush with the spring rains.
5. 1. Having surfaces in the same plane; even.
   2. Arranged with adjacent sides, surfaces, or edges close together: a sofa flush against the wall. See synonyms at level
   3. Printing Aligned evenly with a margin, as along the left or right edge of a typeset page; not indented.
6. Direct, straightforward, or solid: knocked out by a flush blow to the jaw.
7. Designed to be emptied or cleaned by flushing: a flush toilet.

adverb 

1. So as to be even, in one plane, or aligned with a margin.
2. Squarely or solidly: The ball hit him flush on the face.

derivatives

flush́er

noun

flush́ness

noun

flush³ (flŭsh)

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[Middle English flusshen.]

verb: flushed, flush·ing, flush·es. 

transitive verb 

1. To frighten (a game bird, for example) from cover.
2. To drive or force into the open: The police fired tear gas to flush out the terrorists.

intransitive verb 

To dart out or fly from cover.

noun 

A bird or flock of birds that has been frightened from cover.