dash

Etymology

From Middle English daschen, dassen, from Danish daske (“to slap, strike”), related to Swedish daska (“to smack, slap, spank”), of obscure origin. Compare German tatschen (“to grope, paw”), Old English dwǣsċan (“to quell, put out, destroy, extinguish”). See also dush.

noun

1. (typography) Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).
   1. (computing) A hyphen or minus sign.
2. (by extension) The longer of the two symbols of Morse code.
3. A short run, flight.
   When the feds came they did the dash.
4. A rushing or violent onset.
   The oar squeaks, a dash sound like moon-hustle on the river: 1987, Archie Randolph Ammons, “Coming Round”, in Robert Pack, Jay Parini, editors, Introspections: American poets on one of their own poems, Hanover and London: University Press of New England for Middlebury College Press, published 1997, page 18
5. Violent strike; a whack.
   They say that I’m way too cold, I never get tired of rappin My word is bang where I come from Watch be one work is magicDo it and dash it Smile on MATNo way this peng one acting Who got whacked and who got slapped And who got spared by dashes 2018-01-24, “Irrelevant Things”, performed by C1 from LTH
6. A small quantity of a liquid substance etc.; less than 1/8 of a teaspoon.
   Add a dash of vinegar.
7. (figurative, by extension) A slight admixture.
   There is a dash of craziness in his personality.
8. Ostentatious vigor.
   Aren't we full of dash this morning?
9. A dashboard.
   The dash clock said 2:38 when[…] I turned off a dirt road[…]. October 19 1955, Rex Stout, The Next Witness, Three Witnesses, 94 Bantam, page 31
10. (Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia) A bribe or gratuity; a gift.
    The traditional practice of offering gifts or "dash" to chiefs has often been misinterpreted by scholars to provide a cultural explanation for the pervasive incidence of bribery and corruption in modern Africa. 1992, George B. N. Ayittey, Africa betrayed, page 44
    Writing in 1924 on a similar situation in Ugep, the political officer, Mr. S. T. Harvey noted: "In the old days there was no specified dowry but merely dashes given to the father-in-law[…] 2006, Adiele Eberechukwu Afigbo, The Abolition of the Slave Trade in Southeastern Nigeria, 1885-1950, page 99
    The only other times you'll be asked for a dash is from beggars. 2008, Lizzie Williams, Nigeria: The Bradt Travel Guide, page 84
11. (dated, euphemistic) A stand-in for a censored word, like "Devil" or "damn". (Compare deuce.)
    Sir Thomas looks as if to ask what the dash is that to you! but wanting still to go to India again, and knowing how strong the Newcomes are in Leadenhall Street, he thinks it necessary to be civil to the young cub, and swallows his pride once more into his waistband. Comment: Some editions leave this passage out. Of those that include it, some change the 'you!' to 'you?'. 1853, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Newcomes, Chapter VI, serialized in Harper's New Monthly Magazine, (VIII, no. 43, Dec 1853) p. 118
    Who the dash is this person whom none of us know? and what the dash does he do here? 1884, Lord Robert Gower, My Reminiscences, reprinted in "The Evening Lamp", The Christian Union, (29) 22, (May 29, 1884) p. 524
12. (Internet, informal) The dashboard of a Tumblr user.
    -i hope you find at least one thing on your dash that will make you laugh today. 2018, anonymous, quoted in Mélanie Bourdaa, "'May We Meet Again': Social Bonds, Activities, and Identities in the #Clexa Fandom", in A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies (ed. Paul Booth), page 392
    i cannot tell you how happy it makes me when i see my dash filled with selfies from other folks who look like me. 2018, "notthesameknowledge", quoted in Randall Lake, Recovering Argument, unnumbered page
    You wanna know what else is all over my dash? Gifs of you and your boyfriend. 2018, Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie, Alphas Like Us, unnumbered page

verb

1. (intransitive) To run quickly or for a short distance.
   He dashed across the field.
   As our train to Paris dashed through the labyrynthine flyovers at Porchefontaine, barely a mile from Versailles, the 75 m.p.h. limit was already almost attained. 1961 November, H. G. Ellison, P. G. Barlow, “Journey through France: Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 670
2. (intransitive, informal) To leave or depart.
   I have to dash now. See you soon.
3. (transitive) To destroy by striking (against).
   He dashed the bottle against the bar and turned about to fight.
4. (transitive) To throw violently.
   The man was dashed from the vehicle during the accident.
   They say that I’m way too cold, I never get tired of rappin / My word is bang where I come from / Watch be one work is magic / Do it and dash it / Smile on MAT / No way this peng one acting / Who got whacked and who got slapped / And who got spared by dashes 24 January 2018, “Irrelevant Things”, performed by C1 from LTH
5. (transitive, intransitive, sometimes figurative) To sprinkle; to splatter.
6. (transitive, dated) To mix, reduce, or adulterate, by throwing in something of an inferior quality.
   to dash wine with water
7. (transitive, of hopes or dreams) To ruin; to destroy.
   Her hopes were dashed when she saw the damage.
   Arsenal's hopes of starting their Champions League campaign with an away win were dashed when substitute Ivan Perisic's superb late volley rescued a point for Borussia Dortmund. September 13, 2011, Sam Lyon, “Borussia Dortmund 1 – 1 Arsenal”, in BBC
8. (transitive) To dishearten; to sadden.
   Her thoughts were dashed to melancholy.
9. (transitive, usually with down or off) To complete hastily.
   He dashed down his eggs.
   She dashed off her homework.
10. (transitive) To draw or write quickly; jot.
    Going out the door, he grabbed a windbreaker and dashed a note to his father and left it on the entry table. 2003, Robert Andrews, A Murder of Promise, page 198
11. (transitive, dated, euphemistic) Damn (in forming oaths).
    Dash his impudence! Who is that scoundrel?

intj

1. (euphemistic) Damn!