streamline

[ streem-lahyn ]

noun

1. a teardrop line of contour offering the least possible resistance to a current of air, water, etc.
2. the path of a particle that is flowing steadily and without turbulence in a fluid past an object.

verb (used with object)

, stream·lined, stream·lin·ing.

1. to make streamlined.
2. to alter in order to make more efficient or simple.

adjective

1. streamlined.

streamline

/ ˈstriːmˌlaɪn /

noun

1. a contour on a body that offers the minimum resistance to a gas or liquid flowing around it
2. an imaginary line in a fluid such that the tangent at any point indicates the direction of the velocity of a particle of the fluid at that point

verb

1. to make streamlined

streamline

/ strēm′līn′ /

1. To construct or reconstruct an object to reduce the amount of drag it undergoes as it moves through a fluid, especially air or water.

streamline

1. The line traced by a liquid or gas as it moves. Streamlines are most commonly used in describing the flow of a liquid or gas around a solid object.

Notes

A “streamlined” design is one in which objects that move through a gas or liquid are shaped to match these lines, and therefore reduce the energy required to produce that motion.

Word History and Origins

Origin of streamline¹

First recorded in 1870–75; stream + line ¹

Example Sentences

“We have the ability to put 60 through each class, and we’re not seeing close to that,” he said, adding he hoped the department would soon streamline the hiring process.

From Los Angeles Times

T-levels were designed to streamline this landscape, and make post-16 options less confusing for students and employers.

From BBC

Bob Pittman, chief executive of the San Antonio-based media giant, said the terminations were part of the company’s “modernization journey” and boasted about using technology to “speed up processes and streamline legacy systems” during a third-quarter earnings call last week, according to Billboard.

From Los Angeles Times

One of the key ways Niccol said he plans on supporting baristas is by simplifying the chain’s now-expansive menu and introducing “customization guardrails” to streamline the ordering process.

From Salon

Both Musk and Trump have concentrated on the idea of him leading a new "Department of Government Efficiency", where he would cut costs, reform regulations and streamline what he calls a "massive, suffocating federal bureaucracy".

From BBC

Related Words

• build
• carve
• construct
• embody
• fashion
• forge
• frame
• mold
• produce