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Purge vs Flush - What's the difference?

purge | flush |

In transitive terms the difference between purge and flush

is that purge is to clarify; to clear the dregs from (liquor) while flush is to excite, inflame.

In intransitive terms the difference between purge and flush

is that purge is to have or produce frequent evacuations from the intestines, as by means of a cathartic while flush is to become suffused with reddish color due to embarrassment, excitement, overheating, or other systemic disturbance, to blush.

As an adjective flush is

smooth, even, aligned; not sticking out.

purge

English

(wikipedia purge)

Noun

(en noun)
  • An act of .
  • (medicine) An evacuation of the bowels or a vomiting.
  • A cleansing of pipes.
  • A forcible removal of people, for example, from political activity.
    • Stalin liked to ensure that his purges were not reversible.
  • That which purges; especially, a medicine that evacuates the intestines; a cathartic.
    • (Arbuthnot)

    Related terms

    * purgatory

    Verb

    (purg)
  • to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities
  • (religion) to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds
  • To remove by cleansing; to wash away.
  • * Bible, Psalms lxxix. 9
    • Purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
  • * Addison
    • We'll join our cares to purge away / Our country's crimes.
  • (medicine) to void (the bowels); to vomit.
  • (medicine) To operate on (somebody) as a cathartic, or in a similar manner.
  • (legal) to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation
  • To clarify; to clear the dregs from (liquor).
  • To become pure, as by clarification.
  • To have or produce frequent evacuations from the intestines, as by means of a cathartic.

    • flush

    English

    (wikipedia flush)

    Etymology 1

    (etyl)

    Noun

    (es)
  • A group of birds that have suddenly started up from undergrowth, trees etc.
  • * 1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , V.2:
    • As when a Faulcon hath with nimble flight / Flowne at a flush of Ducks foreby the brooke […].

    Verb

    (es)
  • To cause to take flight from concealment.
    • The hunters flushed the tiger from the canebrake.
  • To take suddenly to flight, especially from cover.
    • A covey of quail flushed from the undergrowth.
  • * W. Browne
    • flushing from one spray unto another

    Etymology 2

    Same as according to the American Heritage Dictionary

    Adjective

    (er)
  • smooth, even, aligned; not sticking out.
    • Sand down the excess until it is flush with the surface.
  • wealthy or well off.
    • He just got a bonus so he's flush today.
  • (typography) Short for flush left and right ; a body of text aligned with both its left and right margins.
  • Full of vigour; fresh; glowing; bright.
  • * Shakespeare
    • With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May.
  • Affluent; abounding; well furnished or suppled; hence, liberal; prodigal.
  • * Arbuthnot
    • Lord Strut was not very flush in ready.
    Synonyms
    * (typography) double-clean, flush left and right, forced, forced justified, force justified, justified
    Derived terms
    * flush left, flush right, flush left and right

    Etymology 3

    Probably from according to American Heritage Dictionary

    Noun

    (es)
  • A sudden flowing; a rush which fills or overflows, as of water for cleansing purposes.
  • * Ray
    • in manner of a wave or flush
  • Particularly, such a cleansing of a toilet.
  • A suffusion of the face with blood, as from fear, shame, modesty, or intensity of feeling of any kind; a blush; a glow.
  • * Tennyson
    • the flush of angered shame
  • Any tinge of red colour like that produced on the cheeks by a sudden rush of blood.
    • the flush''' on the side of a peach; the '''flush on the clouds at sunset
  • A sudden flood or rush of feeling; a thrill of excitement, animation, etc.
    • a flush of joy

    Verb

    (es)
  • To cleanse by flooding with generous quantities of a fluid.
    • Flush the injury with plenty of water.
  • Particularly, to cleanse a toilet by introducing a large amount of water.
  • To become suffused with reddish color due to embarrassment, excitement, overheating, or other systemic disturbance, to blush.
    • The damsel flushed at the scoundrel's suggestion.
  • To cause to blush.
  • * John Gay
    • Nor flush with shame the passing virgin's cheek.
  • * Keats
    • Sudden a thought came like a full-blown rose, / Flushing his brow.
  • * 1925 , Fruit of the Flower , by
    • "Who plants a seed begets a bud, -- Extract of that same root; -- Why marvel at the hectic blood -- That flushes this wild fruit?"
  • To cause to be full; to flood; to overflow; to overwhelm with water.
    • to flush the meadows
  • To excite, inflame.
  • * South
    • such things as can only feed his pride and flush his ambition
  • (of a toilet) To be cleansed by being flooded with generous quantities of water.
    • There must be somebody home: I just heard the toilet flushing .
  • (computing) To clear (a buffer) of its contents.
  • To flow and spread suddenly; to rush.
    • Blood flushes into the face.
  • * Boyle
    • the flushing noise of many waters
  • To show red; to shine suddenly; to glow.
  • * Milton
    • In her cheek, distemper flushing glowed.
  • (masonry) To fill in (joints); to point the level; to make them flush.
    • Usage notes
    In sense “turn red with embarrassment”, (blush) is more common. More finely, in indicating the actual change, blush'' is more common – “He blushed with embarrassment” – but in indicating state, ''flushed is also common – “He was flushed with excitement”.
    Synonyms
    * (turn red with embarrassment) blush

    Etymology 4

    Probably from (etyl) , cognate with flux

    Noun

    (es)
  • (poker) A hand consisting of all cards with the same suit.
    • Derived terms
    * busted flush * royal flush * straight flush