Word: blush Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English blusshen, bluschen, blusschen, blisshen, from Old English blysċan (“to be red; shine”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *blaskijaną, from *blasǭ (“burning candle; torch”) or alternatively from Proto-Germanic *bluskijaną, from *blusjǭ (“torch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-. Cognate with Middle Low German blöschen (“to blush”). Compare also Old English blysian (“to burn; blaze”), Dutch blozen (“to blush”), Danish blusse (“to blush”), Old Norse blys (“torch”), Danish blus (“blaze”). Pronunciation: /ˈblʌʃ/, [ˈblʌʃ] 1. An act of blushing; a pink or red glow on the face caused by embarrassment, shame, shyness, love, etc. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Why, Warwick, canst thou speak against thy liege, Whom thou obeyed’st thirty and six years, And not bewray thy treason with a blush? Example: […] when he perceived her industriously avoiding any explanation, he was contented to remain in ignorance, the rather as he was not without suspicion that there were some circumstances which must have raised her blushes, had she related the whole truth. 2. A glow; a flush of colour, especially pink or red. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: And now the rosy blush of morn began to mantle in the east, and soon the rising sun, emerging from amidst golden and purple clouds, shed his blithesome rays on the tin weathercocks of Communipaw. Example: Each painting consists of a white aluminum disk, sprayed at the edges with a subtle blush of blue, pink or grey. 3. A feeling or appearance of optimism. Labels: countable, figuratively, uncountable Example: 1974, “April's Fading Carnation,” Time, 9 September, 1974,https://web.archive.org/web/20130813201436/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,904100,00.html The independence ceremony could not keep the blush of April's revolution, when carnations had seemed to sprout from every buttonhole, from fading. Example: 2016, David McKay, “AngloGold to fire up dividend in 2017 as net debt cut a third,” miningmx.com, 15 August, 2016, The weakening of local currencies – in Argentina, Australia and Brazil – gave a blush to the financial numbers. (As a whole, all-in sustaining costs (AISC) improved to an average of $911/oz compared with the $924/oz recorded in the first half of 2015). 4. A cosmetic, frequently a powder, used to redden the cheeks and lips. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The same rules that apply to face powder apply to powder blush, since neither contains water. Cream blush, however, should be replaced after a year. To prolong the life of any blush, clean your blush brush regularly and store the product in a dry place. 5. A color between pink and cream. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Makeup colors like ivory and blush dominate spring collections and have even infiltrated Burberry's shoes. 6. Ellipsis of blush wine. Labels: US, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable Example: 2016, Mishkah Abrahams, “Blush or Rosé? The Cape's Best Summer Drink,” capetownetc.com, 29 September, 2016, If you’re looking to indulge in some good food while you sip your blush, pair the Chardonnay-Pinot Noir with fresh, summer foods such as sushi, refreshing salads, delicious seafood and fruity summertime desserts.