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# brushing

verb form (-ing form of brush: brush, brushes, brushed, brushing); noun (brushing, uncountable)

«brushing» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Brushing means cleaning or tidying something with a brush: brushing your teeth, brushing your hair. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/#m1)
2. Brushing means touching something lightly as you pass: the leaves were brushing my face. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/#m2)
3. Brushing can mean putting paint, oil or egg on something with a brush. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/#m3)
4. As a noun, brushing is the act of cleaning with a brush. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/#m4)

### In the lessons

In hygiene lessons tooth brushing is very important: brush twice a day (morning and before bed) for about two minutes with fluoride toothpaste, reaching all the teeth and the gumline; this removes plaque and bacteria that cause holes. Brushing your hair and brushing pets (to keep their fur clean) are everyday care. In stories «brushing» can describe gentle touch: a cat brushing against your legs. Phrases: brushing your teeth, brushing your hair, brush off (ignore), brush up on (practise again).

### Examples

- I'm brushing my teeth before bed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/#x1)
- Brushing twice a day keeps your teeth healthy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/#x2)
- Brushing your teeth should take about two minutes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/#x3)
- She is brushing the dog's fur. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/#x4)
- The cat was brushing against my legs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/#x5)
- Dad was brushing egg on the pastry. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/#x6)
- I'm brushing up on my times tables before the test. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/#x7)
- Don't forget brushing your tongue too. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/#x8)
- After some time, however, a gentleman who came to his master’s house gave Whittington a penny for brushing his shoes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/#x9)

### Note

Spelling: brush → brushes, brushed, brushing. Spit out toothpaste after brushing but you don't need to rinse with lots of water (the fluoride works longer). «Brush off» means ignore someone or something unkindly; «brush up on» means practise again.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «brushing» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brushing/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«brushing» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/brushing.html) on Mova free.