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flashing

flashing

1 6.9
A thin metal sheet fitted around parts of a roof to stop water
  • noun
  • /ˈflæʃɪŋ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tapajuntas
  • To prevent leaks, the builders used flashing where the roof meets the walls of the house.

Examples

  • Flashing is meant to move water away from vulnerable spots, and house wraps cover and protect wood sheeting.

    Blog text (20)
  • A Victorian stone mansion with crenelated towers, high arched gables, and coppery green gutters and flashings, Archer Hall has been empty since the last owners tried and failed at making it into a restaurant.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The contractor installed flashing around the chimney to ensure that rainwater would not seep into the roof.

  • During construction, the workers carefully placed flashing at the joints to strengthen the structure and protect it from water damage.

Compounds

A light that flashes to warn people, for example on ambulances or at crossings

Surface Forms

flashing singular
flashings plural

Morphology

flashing = flash (opaque) = flash + ing

The word is formally built from 'flash' + '-ing', but the roofing sense is a specialized technical meaning that is not recoverable from the common meaning of 'flash'.

Etymology

Flashing for roofs is easy to remember if you think of a thin, shiny strip of metal that 'flashes' light and sits at joins to push water away. A helpful way to remember it is that this metal 'flashing' forms a quick barrier at weak points to keep water out.