flush

 

To flush something is to use water for the purpose of removing material for sanitation or maintenance.

  • The sound of flushing water in a bathroom indicates that a person is finished using a toilet.
  • If a toilet doesn’t flush properly, you might have to call a plumber to fix it.
  • A toilet flushes water away from a building to a sewer system.
  • A person who has an accumulation of ear wax might have to see a doctor to have the wax flushed out from the ear canal.
  • If any harmful chemicals get into your eyes, it’s necessary to flush your eyes with water.
  • Fire hydrants need to be flushed occasionally to remove harmful sediment from the pipes.
  • Before getting a colonoscopy, a person must flush his or her digestive and excretory systems with liquids.

flushing a computerYou can’t flush something down the toilet if it’s too big.

We also use "flush" when one thing is flat against the surface of another thing.

  • The couch is flush against the wall. (It’s right up against the wall.)
  • The chair is flush against the table.
  • Use the toolbar on Google Docs to move text flush left or flush right. (flush left = all the way to the left; flush right = all the way to the right) flush left flush left
  • A ceiling fan that is flush against the ceiling is right up against the surface of the ceiling.

The word "flush" is used for various card games:

  • If you’re holding a flush, your playing cards are all of the same suit. (suit = hearts, aces, spades, or clubs)
  • A royal flush in poker is the best possible hand that a person can hold. All of the cards are of the same suit and include a ten, a jack, a queen, a king, and an ace.

playing cards

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January 15, 2020