• 
• brush
• 1

  clean/make tidy

   [transitive] to clean something or make something smooth and tidy using a brush[↪ sweep]:
• Don't forget to brush your teeth.
• 2

  remove

   [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to remove something with a brush or with your hand
• brush something off/from etc something
• Ella brushed the crumbs off her jacket.
• He brushed the tears from his eyes.
• 3

  touch lightly

   [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] to touch someone or something lightly when passing them:
• Something brushed her shoulders.
• brush against
• I felt her hair brush against my arm.
• brush past
• Nell brushed past him in the doorway.
• 4

  put something on something

   [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to put a liquid onto something using a brush
• brush something with something
• Brush the pastry with milk.
• brush something over/onto something
• Brush a little oil over the top of the pizza.

• ➔ brush something under the carpet

   at sweep1 (15)

• brush somebody/something ↔ aside 

  phrasal verb
• to refuse to listen to someone, or refuse to consider something [= dismiss]:
• He simply brushed all my objections aside.

• brush somebody/something ↔ down 

  phrasal verb
• 1 to clean something using a brush:
• He was brushing the pony down.
• 2

   brush yourself down

  to use your hands to remove dirt from your clothes, especially after you have fallen

• brush somebody/something ↔ off 

  phrasal verb
• to refuse to listen to someone or their ideas, especially by ignoring them or saying something rude:
• Corman brushed off the accusations.
• ➔ brush-off

• brush up (on) something 

  phrasal verb
• to practise and improve your skills or your knowledge of something that you learned in the past:
• I must brush up on my French before I go to Paris.
• WORD FOCUS: clean 
• wash with soap and water
• wipe with a damp cloth
• brush with a brush to remove the dirt 
• polish by rubbing with a cloth
• scrub by rubbing hard
• sweep with a broom
• mop with water and a mop (a tool with a long handle)
• vacuum also hoover British English with a machine that sucks up dust
• disinfect using chemicals to kill germs
• cleanse to clean your skin using a special cream
• rinse to put water on to remove dirt or soap
• dust to remove dust, for example with a cloth

➔ See also clean

Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.