brush with

Reader's Digest 11月号にあった、岩に激突して転覆し命拾いした経験談、The Raging River "whitewater rafting"からです。
Soaking wet and short of breath, we exchanged details and assessed our wounds. My dad showed us his bleeding knees. I was unhurt, save a few bruises and scrapes. When we finally collected ourselves, we received a stern word from our guide.
It has been over two years since my brush with death and I am still shaken at the memory.
"brush with death" は文脈からすると、絶命寸前の経験ですが、その様な意味になるのか辞書で調べます。
"brush with" の検索では何もリストに引っ掛かりませんでしたが、"brush" の名詞の意味は以外と沢山あり、ＲＤの記事と全く同じ表現 "brush with death" の例文もありました。
・Macmillan Dictionary: a short experience of a dangerous or unpleasant situation: brush with: He’d had a few brushes with the law, but nothing serious.; We’d had a brush with death that left us terrified.
・Cambridge Advanced Learner's English Dictionary: when you experience something, or almost experience something, especially something unpleasant; Jim had a brush with death (= was nearly killed) on the motorway.; Was that your first brush with the law (= experience of being in trouble with the police)?
なるほど、"brush with" を使う経験はない方が良いようです。