flashing

American  

[flash-ing] / ˈflæʃ ɪŋ /

noun

1. Building Trades. pieces of sheet metal or the like used to cover and protect certain joints and angles, as where a roof comes in contact with a wall or chimney, especially against leakage.

2. the act of creating an artificial flood in a conduit or stream, as in a sewer for cleansing it.

3. Photography, Movies. the process of increasing film speed by exposing undeveloped film briefly to a weak light source before using it or of exposing photographic printing paper to reduce contrast.

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flashing British  

/ ˈflæʃɪŋ /

noun

1. a weatherproof material, esp thin sheet metal, used to cover the valleys between the slopes of a roof, the junction between a chimney and a roof, etc

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Other Word Forms

• interflashing noun
• unflashing adjective

Etymology

Origin of flashing

First recorded in 1775–85; flash + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

As the UN Secretary General António Guterres has put it, "every key climate indicator is flashing red".

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The blue-haired singer leaped onto the stage — wearing a short poofy dress and tall boots — accompanied by a drummer and a multi-instrumentalist with a lot of flashing lights.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

It’s fueling the A.I. bubble, it’s coming to your retirement portfolio—and it’s flashing a lot of warning signs right now.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

He was a 25-year-old tinkering with self-tanners, but all the intrigue and action seemed to be around the lab next door, with its strange music, flashing lights and tinfoil covering the porthole.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

I typed 1111, but the light kept flashing.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller

Related Words

• blazing
• brilliant
• dazzling
• glistening
• glittering
• golden
• intense
• luminous
• radiant
• shimmering
• shiny
• silvery
• sparkling
• sunny
• vivid