In databases, brushing and linking refers to the connection of two or more views of the same data, such that a change to the representation in one view affects the representation in the other.[1]
Specifically, brushing refers to a change of parameters (for example a data filter) in one data representation being reflected in other connected data representations. Linking refers to highlighting, for example selected data, in one view, in other connected data presentations.
One example might be a two part display, consisting of a histogram alongside a list of document titles. The histogram could show how many documents were published each month. Brushing and linking would allow the user to assign a color, green for instance, to one bar of the histogram, thus causing the titles in the list display that were published during the corresponding month to also be highlighted in green.