flow
Americanverb (used without object)
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to move along in a stream.
The river flowed slowly to the sea.
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to circulate.
blood flowing through one's veins.
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to stream or well forth.
Warmth flows from the sun.
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to issue or proceed from a source.
Orders flowed from the office.
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to menstruate.
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to come or go as in a stream.
A constant stream of humanity flowed by.
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to proceed continuously and smoothly.
Melody flowed from the violin.
- Synonyms:
- run
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to hang loosely at full length.
Her hair flowed over her shoulders.
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to abound in something.
The tavern flowed with wine.
- Synonyms:
- teem
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to rise and advance, as the tide (ebb ).
verb (used with object)
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to cause or permit to flow.
to flow paint on a wall before brushing.
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to cover with water or other liquid; flood.
noun
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an act of flowing.
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movement in or as if in a stream.
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the rate of flowing.
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the volume of fluid that flows through a passage of any given section during a unit of time.
Oil flow of the well was 500 barrels a day.
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something that flows; stream.
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an outpouring or discharge of something, as in a stream.
a flow of blood.
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an overflowing; flood.
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the rise of the tide (ebb ).
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Machinery. progressive distortion of a metal object under continuous service at high temperature.
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Physics. the transference of energy.
heat flow.
verb
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(of liquids) to move or be conveyed as in a stream
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(of blood) to circulate around the body
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to move or progress freely as if in a stream
the crowd flowed into the building
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to proceed or be produced continuously and effortlessly
ideas flowed from her pen
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to show or be marked by smooth or easy movement
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to hang freely or loosely
her hair flowed down her back
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to be present in abundance
wine flows at their parties
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an informal word for menstruate
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(of tide water) to advance or rise Compare ebb
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(tr) to cover or swamp with liquid; flood
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(of rocks such as slate) to yield to pressure without breaking so that the structure and arrangement of the constituent minerals are altered
noun
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the act, rate, or manner of flowing
a fast flow
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a continuous stream or discharge
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continuous progression
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the advancing of the tide
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a stream of molten or solidified lava
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the amount of liquid that flows in a given time
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an informal word for menstruation
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a marsh or swamp
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an inlet or basin of the sea
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( capital when part of a name )
Scapa Flow
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natural happiness
Usage
What is basic definition of flow? Flow means to move along in a stream, as water does. Flow also means to circulate, as air does. Flow is used as a noun to mean movement as if in a stream. Flow has several other senses as a verb and a noun.When something flows, it moves like water in a stream. When used literally, flow is almost always used to describe the movement of liquids or things that act like fluids. Flow is also often used figuratively to mean to move smoothly like water or a liquid.
- Real-life examples: Water flows through pipes. Magma flows out of a volcano. People hope traffic flows through a city so they don’t get stuck in a traffic jam.
- Used in a sentence: Roger lied so much that the lies flowed out of his mouth.
- Used in a sentence: The huge dam redirects the flow of the river away from the city.
- Used in a sentence: The heart makes sure blood flows throughout the body.
- Used in a sentence: A flow of shoppers streamed into the mall.
Related Words
Flow, gush, spout, spurt refer to certain of the movements characteristic of fluids. Flow is the general term: Water flows. A stream of blood flows. To gush is to rush forth copiously from a cavity, in as large a volume as can issue therefrom, as the result of some strong impelling force: The water will gush out if the main breaks. Spout and spurt both imply the ejecting of a liquid from a cavity by some internal impetus given to it. Spout implies a rather steady, possibly well-defined, jet or stream, not necessarily of long duration but always of considerable force: A whale spouts. Spurt implies a forcible, possibly sudden, spasmodic, or intermittent issue or jet: The liquid spurted out suddenly when the bottle cap was pushed in. Spout applies only to liquids; the other terms apply also to gases.
Other Word Forms
- flowability noun
- flowable adjective
- reflow noun
- underflow noun
Etymology
Origin of flow
First recorded before 900; (verb) Middle English flowen, Old English flōwan; akin to Middle Low German vlōien, Old Norse flōa; (noun) late Middle English: “surge of a wave,” derivative of the verb
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Fast flowing or deep floodwater is possible, causing a danger to life, " it added.
From BBC
Targa said it expects Stakeholder to “generate unlevered adjusted free cash flow of approximately $200 million annually with minimal capital needs, very low integration costs and attractive acreage with a stable volume profile.”
Those who lose out might be at risk of downgrades to their credit ratings if their future cash flow doesn’t keep up with debt they have issued.
‘This Is a Story,’ filled with enlarged plates and tables, cheeky chapels and flowing beards, has a charismatic presence.
From Los Angeles Times
The Met Office has also warned that fast flowing or deep floodwater is possible, causing a danger to life.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
