flash vs sweep

flash

noun
  • Material left around the edge of a moulded part at the parting line of the mould. 

  • A language, created by a minority to maintain cultural identity, that cannot be understood by the ruling class. 

  • The strips of bright cloth or buttons worn around the collars of market traders. 

  • A pool. 

  • Pizzazz, razzle-dazzle. 

  • A sudden, short, temporary burst of light. 

  • The (intentional or unintentional) exposure of an intimate body part or undergarment in public. 

  • Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genera Artipe, Deudorix and Rapala. 

  • A reservoir and sluiceway beside a navigable stream, just above a shoal, so that the stream may pour in water as boats pass, and thus bear them over the shoal. 

  • A brief exposure or making visible (of a smile, badge, etc). 

  • A form of military insignia. 

  • A pattern where each prop is thrown and caught only once. 

  • A flashlight; an electric torch. 

  • The sudden sensation of being "high" after taking a recreational drug. 

  • A very short amount of time. 

  • A tattoo flash (example design on paper to give an idea of a possible tattoo). 

  • A sudden and brilliant burst, as of genius or wit. 

verb
  • To blink; to shine or illuminate intermittently. 

  • To flaunt; to display in a showy manner. 

  • To cover with a thin layer, as objects of glass with glass of a different colour. 

  • To burst out into violence. 

  • To send by some startling or sudden means. 

  • To release the pressure from a pressurized vessel. 

  • To evaporate suddenly. (See flash evaporation.) 

  • To expand (blown glass) into a disc. 

  • To move, or cause to move, suddenly. 

  • To telephone a person, only allowing the phone to ring once, in order to request a call back. 

  • To expose one's intimate body part or piece of clothing, often momentarily. (Contrast streak.) 

  • To write to the memory of (an updatable component such as a BIOS chip or games cartridge). 

  • To cause to shine briefly or intermittently. 

  • To perform a flash. 

  • To be visible briefly. 

  • To climb (a route) successfully on the first attempt. 

  • To make visible briefly. 

  • To break forth like a sudden flood of light; to show a momentary brilliance. 

  • To communicate quickly. 

adj
  • Occurring very rapidly, almost instantaneously. 

  • Expensive-looking and demanding attention; stylish; showy. 

  • Having plenty of ready money. 

  • Liable to show off expensive possessions or money. 

sweep

noun
  • A movable template for making moulds, in loam moulding. 

  • Any of several sea chubs in the family Kyphosidae (subfamily Scorpidinae). 

  • The compass of any turning body or of any motion. 

  • Violent and general destruction. 

  • The degree to which an aircraft's wings are angled backwards (or, occasionally, forwards) from their attachments to the fuselage. 

  • A flow of water parallel to shore caused by wave action at an ocean beach or at a point or headland. 

  • A long pole, or piece of timber, moved on a horizontal fulcrum fixed to a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well for drawing water. 

  • A lottery, usually on the results of a sporting event, where players win if their randomly chosen team wins. 

  • A person who stands at the stern of a surf boat, steering with a steering oar and commanding the crew. 

  • A single action of sweeping. 

  • The person who steers a dragon boat. 

  • A methodical search, typically for bugs (electronic listening devices). 

  • Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, etc. away from a rectilinear line. 

  • A rowing style in which each rower rows with oar on either the port or starboard side. 

  • An expanse or a swath, a strip of land. 

  • A batsman's shot, played from a kneeling position with a swinging horizontal bat. 

  • In the game casino, the act of capturing all face-up cards from the table. 

  • Any of the blades of a windmill. 

  • A chimney sweep. 

  • The sweepings of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc. 

  • A large oar used in small vessels, partly to propel them and partly to steer them. 

  • A throw or takedown that primarily uses the legs to attack an opponent's legs. 

verb
  • To clear (a body of water or part thereof) of mines. 

  • To defeat (a team) in a series without drawing or losing any of the games in that series. 

  • To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion. 

  • To move something in a long sweeping motion, as a broom. 

  • To row with one oar to either the port or starboard side. 

  • To strike with a long stroke. 

  • To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation. 

  • To move through a (horizontal) arc or similar long stroke. 

  • To travel quickly. 

  • To win (a series) without drawing or losing any of the games in that series. 

  • To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush. 

  • To remove something abruptly and thoroughly. 

  • To brush the ice in front of a moving stone, causing it to travel farther and to curl less. 

  • To search (a place) methodically. 

  • To draw or drag something over. 

  • To play a sweep shot. 

  • To vacuum a carpet or rug. 

  • To brush against or over; to rub lightly along. 

How often have the words flash and sweep occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )