Brushed
/brʌʃt/
verbA2past tense
Definition
Brushed is the past form of the verb "brush." It means to clean or smooth something by moving a brush over it or to touch something lightly and quickly. People often brush their hair, teeth, or clothes, or they may brush dust or dirt away.
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⚡ See It in Action
To clean or smooth by moving a brush over something
- •She brushed her hair before going out.
- •He brushed the dust off the table.
- •They brushed their teeth after dinner.
To touch lightly or quickly
- •The cat brushed against my leg.
- •A leaf brushed past my face in the wind.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "brushed" like "cleaned," but with a soft, light action using a brush or hand
- ✓Picture someone moving a small tool gently over hair or a surface to make it neat or clean
- ✓It's the feeling when you smooth your hair or remove dust from a table softly
- ✓Sounds like "brush-t" → imagine the sound of a soft brush moving quickly on a surface
- ✓Remember brushing your teeth every morning to keep them clean and fresh
- ✓NOT like "scrubbed" (which is hard and strong), "brushed" is gentle and light
- ✓NOT like "wiped" (which uses cloth or hand), "brushed" uses a brush or similar tool
- ✓NOT like "hit" (strong and fast), "brushed" is soft and often slow or careful
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Combed: to arrange hair using a comb (Use when talking specifically about hair and arranging it neatly)
- •Wiped: to clean or dry by moving a cloth or hand over a surface (Use when no brush is involved, and the action is usually with cloth)
- •Dust off: to remove dust by shaking or brushing lightly (Use for removing dust specifically)
- •Stroking: to move hand gently over something (Use when no brush is involved, and the touch is soft and slow)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: brush + -ed (past tense suffix showing the action happened before)
- •Etymology: "brush" comes from Old French "broce," meaning a tool with bristles for cleaning or painting
- •Historical development: The verb "to brush" has been used since the 14th century to mean cleaning or touching lightly with a brush
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe cleaning actions, grooming, or light touching in everyday life
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How does brushing your hair or teeth affect your daily routine and feelings about yourself?
•Can brushing be used in a non-physical way, like brushing off a problem or feeling? How does that change its meaning?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.She brushed her hair ___ before going to school to look neat and tidy.
2.The wind brushed ___ the leaves, making a soft sound.
3.He brushed the dirt ___ the shoes to make them clean.
4.When the cat brushed against me, I felt ___ and surprised.
5.Unlike scrubbing hard, brushing is usually a ___ and gentle action.
6.After eating, it is important to brush ___ your teeth to keep them healthy.
7.The painter brushed ___ the wall carefully to avoid making mistakes.