Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
DASH
I. verb
Etymology: Middle English dasshen, probably from Middle French dachier to impel forward
Date: 14th century
transitive verb to break by striking or knocking, to knock, hurl, or thrust violently, splash , spatter ,
4. ruin , destroy , depress , sadden , to make ashamed, to affect by mixing in something different , to complete, execute, or finish off hastily, damn I,4, intransitive verb to move with sudden speed , smash ,
II. noun
Date: 14th century
1. blow , b. a sudden burst or splash, the sound produced by such a burst,
2. a stroke of a pen, a punctuation mark — that is used especially to indicate a break in the thought or structure of a sentence, a small usually distinctive addition , flashy display, animation in style and action,
6. a sudden onset, rush, or attempt, a short fast race, a long click or buzz forming a letter or part of a letter (as in Morse code), dashboard 2