PD, below is a short definition of “Flash” Macromedia bought the company that developed it. An webopedia reference and below that a search reference with over 1,900,000 sites. Have fun.

A bandwidth friendly and browser independent vector-graphic animation technology. As long as different browsers are equipped with the necessary plug-ins, Flash animations will look the same.
With Flash, users can draw their own animations or import other vector-based images.
Flash was known as FutureSplash until 1997, when Macromedia Inc. bought the company that developed it.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/F/Flash.html