Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Dash \Dash\, n.
   1. Violent striking together of two bodies; collision; crash.

   2. A sudden check; abashment; frustration; ruin; as, his
      hopes received a dash.

   3. A slight admixture, infusion, or adulteration; a partial
      overspreading; as, wine with a dash of water; red with a
      dash of purple.

            Innocence when it has in it a dash of folly.
                                                  --Addison.

   4. A rapid movement, esp. one of short duration; a quick
      stroke or blow; a sudden onset or rush; as, a bold dash at
      the enemy; a dash of rain.

            She takes upon her bravely at first dash. --Shak.

   5. Energy in style or action; animation; spirit.

   6. A vain show; a blustering parade; a flourish; as, to make
      or cut a great dash. [Low]

   7. (Punctuation) A mark or line [--], in writing or printing,
      denoting a sudden break, stop, or transition in a
      sentence, or an abrupt change in its construction, a long
      or significant pause, or an unexpected or epigrammatic
      turn of sentiment. Dashes are also sometimes used instead
      of marks or parenthesis. --John Wilson.

   8. (Mus.)
      (a) The sign of staccato, a small mark [?] denoting that
          the note over which it is placed is to be performed in
          a short, distinct manner.
      (b) The line drawn through a figure in the thorough bass,
          as a direction to raise the interval a semitone.

   9. (Racing) A short, spirited effort or trial of speed upon a
      race course; -- used in horse racing, when a single trial
      constitutes the race.

Dash \Dash\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Dashed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Dashing}.] [Of. Scand. origin; cf. Dan daske to beat,
   strike, Sw. & Icel. daska, Dan. & Sw. dask blow.]
   1. To throw with violence or haste; to cause to strike
      violently or hastily; -- often used with against.

            If you dash a stone against a stone in the botton of
            the water, it maketh a sound.         --Bacon.

   2. To break, as by throwing or by collision; to shatter; to
      crust; to frustrate; to ruin.

            Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's
            vessel.                               --Ps. ii. 9.

            A brave vessel, . . . Dashed all to pieces. --Shak.

            To perplex and dash Maturest counsels. --Milton.

   3. To put to shame; to confound; to confuse; to abash; to
      depress. --South.

            Dash the proud games?er in his gilded car. --Pope.

   4. To throw in or on in a rapid, careless manner; to mix,
      reduce, or adulterate, by throwing in something of an
      inferior quality; to overspread partially; to bespatter;
      to touch here and there; as, to dash wine with water; to
      dash paint upon a picture.

            I take care to dash the character with such
            particular circumstance as may prevent ill-natured
            applications.                         --Addison.

            The very source and fount of day Is dashed with
            wandering isles of night.             --Tennyson.

   5. To form or sketch rapidly or carelessly; to execute
      rapidly, or with careless haste; -- with off; as, to dash
      off a review or sermon.

   6. To erase by a stroke; to strike out; knock out; -- with
      out; as, to dash out a word.

Dash \Dash\, v. i.
   To rust with violence; to move impetuously; to strike
   violently; as, the waves dash upon rocks.

         [He] dashed through thick and thin.      --Dryden.

         On each hand the gushing waters play, And down the
         rough cascade all dashing fall.          --Thomson.

Source : WordNet®

dash
     n 1: distinctive and stylish elegance; "he wooed her with the
          confident dash of a cavalry officer" [syn: {elan}, {flair},
           {panache}, {style}]
     2: a quick run [syn: {sprint}]
     3: a footrace run at top speed; "he is preparing for the
        100-yard dash"
     4: a punctuation mark (-) used between parts of a compound word
        or between the syllables of a word when the word is
        divided at the end of a line of text [syn: {hyphen}]
     5: the longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code
        [syn: {dah}]
     6: the act of moving with great haste; "he made a dash for the
        door" [syn: {bolt}]

dash
     v 1: run or move very quickly or hastily; "She dashed into the
          yard" [syn: {dart}, {scoot}, {scud}, {flash}, {shoot}]
     2: break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over; "Smash a
        plate" [syn: {smash}]
     3: hurl or thrust violently; "He dashed the plate against the
        wall"; "Waves were dashing against the rock" [syn: {crash}]
     4: destroy or break; "dashed ambitions and hopes"
     5: cause to lose courage; "dashed by the refusal" [syn: {daunt},
         {scare off}, {pall}, {frighten off}, {scare away}, {frighten
        away}, {scare}]
     6: add an enlivening or altering element to; "blue paint dashed
        with white"