Present participle of brush; cleaning or grooming with a brush, or touching lightly in passing. Moving something away with a sweeping motion.
From Old French 'broisse' meaning 'brushwood,' later referring to the cleaning implement made from such materials. The verb form developed from the noun in Middle English, expanding from the physical act of using a brush to metaphorical uses like 'brushing aside' concerns.
The word 'brush' originally referred to broken twigs and small branches - what we now call brushwood. This explains why we use the same word for the cleaning tool, a quick touch ('brush against'), and dense vegetation ('brush country'). All meanings connect to the idea of fine, numerous strands or brief contact.
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