Also 5 brusche, 5–6 brusshe, brushe, 7 brish. [f. BRUSH sb.2; or ad. F. brosser, similarly formed from brosse.]
1. trans. To pass a brush briskly across (a surface), so as to sweep off dirt, dust, or light particles, or to smooth the surface; as to brush a coat, a hat, one’s hair, a person (i.e., his clothes or hair).
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, in Babees Bk. (1868), 180. To brusche þem [robes] clenly.
1577. Hellowes, Gueuara’s Ep., 162. To brushe, and lay vp their apparel.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, III. ii. 41. A brushes his hat a mornings.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 204. Brush and cleanse them from the Dust.
1807. Crabbe, Par. Reg., II. 160. He served the Squire, and brushed the coat he made.
1812. J. & H. Smith, Rej. Addr., ii. (1873), 12. Molly … brushed it with a broom.
1837. Marryat, Olla Podr., xxxii. The children could not be brushed, for the brushes were in the … bag.
Mod. The nurse brushes the children’s hair. ‘They were washing and brushing themselves in the inn.’
† b. fig. To thrash: esp. in To brush one’s coat for him. Obs. (Cf. to dust one’s jacket.)
1665. Surv. Aff. Netherl., 61. Colonel Balfour, and his English, having brushed the Spaniards, the States capitulated.
1678. Bunyan, Pilgr., I. 209. They had their Coats soundly brushed by them.
1783. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), II. Converro, to beat one, to brush his coat for him.
c. with compl., as to brush (a thing) clean, etc., to brush down, etc.
1839. Dickens, Nich. Nick., iv. His hair … was brushed stiffly up from a low, protruding forehead.
1858. Glenny, Gard. Every-day Bk., 279. Sweeping away all dead leaves, and frequently brushing down the shelves.
1879. Browning, Ivan Iv., 70. His broad hands smoothed her head, as fain to brush it free From fancies.
d. absol. Also to brush away: see AWAY 7.
1854. Mrs. Gaskell, North & S., iv. She showed it by brushing away viciously at Margaret’s hair.
Mod. You brush too hard!
2. To brush up: to brighten up by brushing, to free from dust or cobwebs, to furbish up, rub up, renovate; also fig. to revive or refresh one’s acquaintance with anything. (Pope associates this with using a brush in painting, but perhaps only by a word-play.)
a. 1600. A. Scott, Eagle & Robin, in Ever Green (1761), I. 233. Proud Pecocks … Bruscht up thair Pens that solemn Day.
1605. Chapman, etc., in Shaks. C. Praise, 69. You should brushe vp my old Mistresse.
1706. Pope, Lett to Wycherley., 1735, I. 26 (J.). You have commission’d me to paint your Shop, and I have done my best to brush you up like your Neighbours.
1788. Ld. Sheffield, in Ld. Auckland’s Corr. (1861), II. 220. Nickolls … was happy in brushing up his acquaintance with you.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Each & All, i. 5. She must brush up her French.
1848. C. Brontë, Jane Eyre, x. I brushed up my recollections of the map of England.
3. To brush (a thing) over: to paint or wet its surface with a brush; to paint lightly; also fig.
1628. Earle, Microcosm., xxxiii. 72. Practise him a little in men, and brush him over with good company.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 249. They finish the Plastering … by … brishing it over with fair Water.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), III. 9. It is just brushed over for the lights and shades.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, I. 39. Brush them over with brandy.
4. To rub softly as with a brush in passing; to graze lightly or quickly, as in passing.
1647. H. More, Cupid’s Confl., xxiii. 171. My mightie wings high stretch’d … I brush the starres.
1698. Dryden, Æneid, IV. 839. And brush the liquid Seas with lab’ring Oars.
1725. Pope, Odyss., IX. 569. It almost brush’d the helm.
1790. A. Wilson, Morning. To spurn dull sleep and brush the flowery dale.
1850. Blackie, Æschylus, I. 31. Light with swift foot she brushed the doorstead.
1871. R. Ellis, Catullus, lxiv. 270. Light Zephyrus even-breathing Brushes a sleeping sea.
fig. 1807–8. W. Irving, Salmag. (1824), 94. [They] have been brushed rather rudely by the hand of time.
b. intr. To come lightly against with the impact of a brush.
1649. Selden, Laws Eng., I. lix. (1739), 111. He became so great, that his Feathers brushed against the Kings Crown.
† c. trans. To draw or pass (anything) lightly like a brush over (something). Obs. rare.
1690. Dryden, Don Sebastian, IV. 102 (J.).
| A Thousand Nights have brush’d their balmy wings | |
| Over these eyes. |
5. To remove (dust, etc.) with a brush, to sweep (away). Also transf. and fig. To sweep away as with a brush, to carry off lightly in passing: (Usually with advb. or prep. adjunct.)
c. 1631. Milton, Arcades, xv. 48. From the boughs brush off the evil dew.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 15. The Cows and Goats … That … brush the Dew.
1813. Byron, Giaour (Orig. Draft), ii. If … the transient breeze … brush one blossom from the trees.
1814. Southey, Roderick, XVI. She brush’d away the dews.
1835. Marryat, Jacob Faithf., xxxix. Tom passed the back of his hand across his eyes to brush away a tear.
1860. Holland, Miss Gilbert, ii. 41. Brushing tears from his eyes.
1884. Manch. Exam., 26 Nov., 5/1. It is surely high time to brush this nonsense away.
1886. Manch. Exam., 8 Jan., 6/1. Brushing the snow and slush into little mounds.
6. To injure or hurt by grazing; said esp. of a horse grazing his fetlock with the shoe or hoof of the fellow foot. Also absol.
1691. Lond. Gaz., No. 2661/4. A grey Gelding about 15 hands … his Knees brush’d.
1868. Bp. J. Fraser, in T. Hughes, Mem. (1887), 158. I hope he [Strawberry (a horse)] does not ‘cut’ or ‘brush’ in his action.
1886. Sat. Rev., 6 March, 327/2. Such severe and … unnecessary pain, as … the horse [inflicts on itself] by hitting or brushing himself behind.
