stream

[ streem ]

noun

1. a body of water flowing in a channel or watercourse, as a river, rivulet, or brook.

   Synonyms: runnel, streamlet, run, rill

2. a steady current in water, as in a river or the ocean:

   to row against the stream;

   the Gulf Stream.

   Synonyms: tide, flow

3. any flow of water or other liquid or fluid:

   streams of blood.

4. a current or flow of air, gas, or the like.
5. a beam or trail of light:

   A stream of moonlight fell from the clouds.

6. a continuous flow or succession of anything:

   a stream of words.

   Synonyms: rush, torrent

7. prevailing direction; drift:

   the stream of opinion.

8. Digital Technology.
   1. a flow of data, as an audio broadcast, a movie, or live video, transmitted smoothly and continuously from a source to a computer, mobile device, etc.
   2. livestream ( def 2 ).

verb (used without object)

1. to flow, pass, or issue in a stream, as water, tears, or blood.

   Synonyms: pour

2. to send forth or throw off a stream; run or flow (often followed by with ):

   eyes streaming with tears.

3. to extend in a beam or in rays, as light:

   Sunlight streamed in through the windows.

4. to move or proceed continuously like a flowing stream, as a procession.
5. to wave or float outward, as a flag in the wind.
6. to hang in a loose, flowing manner, as long hair.

verb (used with object)

1. to send forth or discharge in a stream:

   The wound streamed blood.

2. to cause to stream or float outward, as a flag.
3. Digital Technology.
   1. to transfer or transmit (data) in such a way that it is processed in a steady and continuous stream:

      Internet service providers are talking about setting limits on the amount of data that can be streamed into your home.

   2. livestream ( def 1 ).
4. Nautical. to place (an object) in the water at the end of a line attached to a vessel.

stream

/ striːm /

noun

1. a small river; brook
2. any steady flow of water or other fluid
3. something that resembles a stream in moving continuously in a line or particular direction
4. a rapid or unbroken flow of speech, etc

   a stream of abuse

5. a flow of money into a business

   a revenue stream

6. any of several parallel classes of schoolchildren, or divisions of children within a class, grouped together because of similar ability
7. go with the stream or drift with the stream
   to conform to the accepted standards
8. off stream
   (of an industrial plant, manufacturing process, etc) shut down or not in production
9. on stream
   1. (of an industrial plant, manufacturing process, etc) in or about to go into operation or production
   2. available or in existence

verb

1. to emit or be emitted in a continuous flow

   his nose streamed blood

2. intr to move in unbroken succession, as a crowd of people, vehicles, etc
3. intr to float freely or with a waving motion

   bunting streamed in the wind

4. tr to unfurl (a flag, etc)
5. intr to move causing a trail of light, condensed gas, etc, as a jet aircraft
6. whenintr, often foll by for mining to wash (earth, gravel, etc) in running water in prospecting (for gold, etc), to expose the particles of ore or metal
7. education to group or divide (children) in streams

stream

/ strēm /

1. A flow of water in a channel or bed, as a brook, rivulet, or small river.
2. A flow of a watery substance, such as blood in blood vessels or cytoplasm in fungal hyphae, in an organism or in part of an organism.

Derived Forms

• ˈstreamˌlike, adjective
• ˈstreamlet, noun

Other Words From

• streamless adjective
• streamlike adjective
• inter·stream adjective
• outstream verb (used with object)
• under·stream noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of stream¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun streem, streme, Old English strēam; cognate with German Strom, Old Norse straumr; akin to Greek rheîn “to flow”; verb derivative of the noun; rheum

Word History and Origins

Origin of stream¹

Old English; related to Old Frisian strām, Old Norse straumr, Old High German stroum, Greek rheuma

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on stream, in or into operation:

   The factory will be on stream in a month.

More idioms and phrases containing stream

see change horses in midstream ; swim against the current (stream) .

Synonym Study

Stream, current refer to a steady flow. In this use they are interchangeable. In the sense of running water, however, a stream is a flow that may be as small as a brook or as large as a river: A number of streams have their sources in mountains. Current refers to the most rapidly moving part of the stream: This river has a swift current.

Example Sentences

We are deep in darkness, before a four-year storm that, according to those Trump has already appointed to his staff, will be replete with violence against immigrants, overwhelming tariffs, profuse and criminal lies, the further fracturing of our country, a desecration of the Constitution and many other forms of villainy — all of which will be conveniently blamed on Joe Biden and the Democrats in an unending stream of calumnious statements backed up by Elon Musk on his de facto state media operation.

From Salon

Amazon also recently scored a deal to stream a package of NBA games.

From Los Angeles Times

The water recycling project was designed so that even as purified water is piped away, a stream of treated wastewater will still flow to sustain the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

A man who sold Firestick devices he reconfigured to allow people to illegally stream Premier League football matches and ignored warnings to stop has been jailed.

From BBC

Dana weather systems are formed when an area of low pressure gets "cut off" from the main flow of the jet stream.

From BBC

Related Words

• cascade
• flood
• glide
• gush
• pour
• spill
• surge