brush-off

[ bruhsh-awf, -of ]

/ ˈbrʌʃˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR brush-off ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a refusal to talk or listen to someone; abrupt or final dismissal or rebuff.

Nearby words

brush off, brush turkey, brush up, brush-fire, brush-footed butterfly, brush-off, brush-on, brush-tailed phalanger, brush-tailed possum, brushback, brushed

Origin of brush-off

1945–50, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase brush off

Definition for brush off (2 of 2)

brush

[ bruhsh ]

/ brʌʃ /

noun

an implement consisting of bristles, hair, or the like, set in or attached to a handle, used for painting, cleaning, polishing, grooming, etc.

one of a pair of devices consisting of long, thin handles with wire bristles attached, used in jazz or dance bands for keeping a soft, rhythmic beat on the trap drums or the cymbals.

the bushy tail of an animal, especially of a fox.

Electricity.

a conductor, often made of carbon or copper or a combination of the two, serving to maintain electric contact between stationary and moving parts of a machine, generator, or other apparatus.
brush discharge.

a feathery or hairy tuft or tassel, as on the tip of a kernel of grain or on a man's hat.

an act or instance of brushing; application of a brush.

a light, stroking touch.

a brief encounter: He has already had one brush with the law.

a close approach, especially to something undesirable or harmful: a brush with disaster.

verb (used with object)

to sweep, paint, clean, polish, etc., with a brush.

to touch lightly in passing; pass lightly over: His lips brushed her ear.

to remove by brushing or by lightly passing over: His hand brushed a speck of lint from his coat.

verb (used without object)

to move or skim with a slight contact.

Verb Phrases

brush aside, to disregard; ignore: Our complaints were simply brushed aside.

brush off, to rebuff; send away: She had never been brushed off so rudely before.

brush up on, to revive, review, or resume (studies, a skill, etc.): She's thinking of brushing up on her tennis.Also brush up.

Origin of brush

1350–1400; (noun) Middle English brusshe, probably to be identified with brush², if orig. sense was implement made from twigs, etc., culled from brushwood; (v.) Middle English brushen to hasten, rush, probably < Old French brosser to travel (through brush), verbal derivative of broce (see brush²)

SYNONYMS FOR brush

8 engagement, action, skirmish. See struggle.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR brush ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

brush·a·ble, adjectivebrush·er, nounbrush·like, adjectiveun·brush·a·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for brush off (1 of 3)

brush off

/ slang /

verb (tr, adverb)

to dismiss and ignore (a person), esp curtly

noun brushoff

an abrupt dismissal or rejection

British Dictionary definitions for brush off (2 of 3)

brush

/ (brʌʃ) /

noun

a device made of bristles, hairs, wires, etc, set into a firm back or handle: used to apply paint, clean or polish surfaces, groom the hair, etc

the act or an instance of brushing

a light stroke made in passing; graze

a brief encounter or contact, esp an unfriendly one; skirmish

the bushy tail of a fox, often kept as a trophy after a hunt, or of certain breeds of dog

an electric conductor, esp one made of carbon, that conveys current between stationary and rotating parts of a generator, motor, etc

a dark brush-shaped region observed when a biaxial crystal is viewed through a microscope, caused by interference between beams of polarized light

verb

(tr) to clean, polish, scrub, paint, etc, with a brush

(tr) to apply or remove with a brush or brushing movementbrush the crumbs off the table

(tr) to touch lightly and briefly

(intr) to move so as to graze or touch something lightly

See also brush aside, brush off, brush up

Derived Forms

brusher, nounbrushlike, adjective

Word Origin for brush

C14: from Old French broisse, perhaps from broce brush ²

British Dictionary definitions for brush off (3 of 3)

brush

/ (brʌʃ) /

noun

a thick growth of shrubs and small trees; scrub

land covered with scrub

broken or cut branches or twigs; brushwood

wooded sparsely populated country; backwoods

Word Origin for brush

C16 (dense undergrowth), C14 (cuttings of trees): from Old French broce, from Vulgar Latin bruscia (unattested) brushwood

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with brush off (1 of 2)

brush off

Dismiss or rebuff, as in Roberta brushed off the poor reviews with a shrug, or You can't brush off a boyfriend and expect him to do you a favor. This expression, transferring sweeping off crumbs to a curt dismissal, was first recorded about 1820. However, it became common usage only in the 1930s. Also see give someone the air (brush off).

Idioms and Phrases with brush off (2 of 2)

brush

In addition to the idioms beginning with brush

brush aside
brush off
brush up

also see:

give someone the air (brush off)
have a brush with
tarred with the same brush

brush-off

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of brush-off

Definition for brush off (2 of 2)

brush

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Verb Phrases

Origin of brush

SYNONYMS FOR brush

Related forms

British Dictionary definitions for brush off (1 of 3)

brush off

verb (tr, adverb)

noun brushoff

British Dictionary definitions for brush off (2 of 3)

brush

noun

verb

Derived Forms

Word Origin for brush

British Dictionary definitions for brush off (3 of 3)

brush

noun

Word Origin for brush

Idioms and Phrases with brush off (1 of 2)

brush off

Idioms and Phrases with brush off (2 of 2)

brush