Flushing

How to spell flushing

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce flushing

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does flushing mean?

1. nounA reddening of the face or skin caused by heat, emotion, exertion, or a medical condition.
2. nounThe act of cleaning or clearing something by sending a strong flow of water or fluid through it.

Flushing in a sentence

• The sudden flushing in her cheeks suggested a fever was setting in.

• Regular flushing of the radiator helps remove rust from the system.

• Hot drinks can trigger flushing across the face in some people.

• The plumber recommended flushing of the pipes to clear the blockage.

Where does flushing come from?

Language of origin: Unknown

This is the present participle of the verb 'flush', a word that surfaces in English in the late Middle Ages with several overlapping meanings, and its earliest origins are not fully settled, so its history is best described as uncertain. One strand is probably imitative, echoing the sudden rush of birds taking flight or water gushing out, while another may connect to Middle English 'flusshen', meaning to fly up suddenly or to spurt. The two ideas, a sudden movement and a sudden flow, blended over time into the modern senses of water surging through a pipe and blood rushing to the face. By the sixteenth century 'flush' was firmly attached both to reddening of the skin and to cleansing with a strong current of water. Adding the ordinary '-ing' ending simply turns the action into the noun or ongoing form, and because the root is a plain single 's' followed by 'h', the spelling rarely trips writers up.

How the word is built

• flush (verb root)
• -ing (present participle / gerund suffix)