What does dash mean?
Dash functions as both verb and noun with several related senses. As a verb it means to move quickly and suddenly — she dashed across the road — or figuratively to do something hastily, as in dashing off a letter. As a noun it denotes a sudden swift movement or short sprint, as in a 100-metre dash. In cookery, a dash is a very small amount of a liquid ingredient, such as a dash of vinegar. In writing, the dash (—) is a punctuation mark used to set off a clause, signal an interruption, or create emphasis. An older sense conveys vigor and stylish confidence, preserved in the idiom to cut a dash. Derived forms include the adjective dashing, describing someone spirited and elegant. Flexible and vivid, dash suits both everyday speech and literary prose.
A punctuation mark (—) used to indicate a break in thought, an abrupt shift, or emphasis; also a sudden swift run, or a small quantity of a liquid.
"Add a dash of olive oil to the dressing."
The em dash (—) and en dash (–) are distinct marks with different typographic uses.
To run or move suddenly and rapidly; to write or do something hastily.
"They dashed to catch the last train."
Standard plural for all noun senses.
"The recipe requires two dashes of hot sauce."
The dash is the only punctuation mark you can legally interrupt a sentence with — and Emily Dickinson built entire poems out of it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dash
Dash first appeared in English in the late Middle Ages as a verb meaning to strike or smash violently, probably imitative in origin — echoing similar verbs like bash, crash, and splash that mimic impact sounds. From the sense of striking came the notion of moving swiftly, and later of throwing a small quantity of liquid into a mixture. The typographic sense arose from the stroke made by a pen when drawing a horizontal line. It has no classical cognates; its relatives are other sound-symbolic English verbs rather than Latin- or Greek-derived words.
Related word forms
How dash is actually used
In informal British English, 'to dash' can also mean to smash something ('he dashed the plate to the floor'). The noun 'dash' meaning flair or showy confidence is somewhat dated but survives in the phrase 'cut a dash'.
Easily confused with dash
A hyphen (-) joins words within a compound, whereas a dash (—) sets off phrases or indicates an abrupt break in thought.