flow

[ floh ]

verb (used without object)

1. to move along in a stream:

   The river flowed slowly to the sea.

2. to circulate:

   blood flowing through one's veins.

3. to stream or well forth:

   Warmth flows from the sun.

4. to issue or proceed from a source:

   Orders flowed from the office.

5. to menstruate.
6. to come or go as in a stream:

   A constant stream of humanity flowed by.

7. to proceed continuously and smoothly:

   Melody flowed from the violin.

   Synonyms: run

8. to hang loosely at full length:

   Her hair flowed over her shoulders.

9. to abound in something:

   The tavern flowed with wine.

   Synonyms: teem

10. to rise and advance, as the tide ( ebb ).

verb (used with object)

1. to cause or permit to flow:

   to flow paint on a wall before brushing.

2. to cover with water or other liquid; flood.

noun

1. an act of flowing.
2. movement in or as if in a stream.
3. the rate of flowing.
4. 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.

5. something that flows; stream.
6. an outpouring or discharge of something, as in a stream:

   a flow of blood.

7. menstruation.
8. an overflowing; flood.
9. the rise of the tide ( ebb ).
10. Machinery. progressive distortion of a metal object under continuous service at high temperature.
11. Physics. the transference of energy:

    heat flow.

flow

/ fləʊ /

verb

1. (of liquids) to move or be conveyed as in a stream
2. (of blood) to circulate around the body
3. to move or progress freely as if in a stream

   the crowd flowed into the building

4. to proceed or be produced continuously and effortlessly

   ideas flowed from her pen

5. to show or be marked by smooth or easy movement
6. to hang freely or loosely

   her hair flowed down her back

7. to be present in abundance

   wine flows at their parties

8. See menstruate
   an informal word for menstruate
9. See ebb
   (of tide water) to advance or rise Compare ebb
10. tr to cover or swamp with liquid; flood
11. (of rocks such as slate) to yield to pressure without breaking so that the structure and arrangement of the constituent minerals are altered

noun

1. the act, rate, or manner of flowing

   a fast flow

2. a continuous stream or discharge
3. continuous progression
4. the advancing of the tide
5. a stream of molten or solidified lava
6. the amount of liquid that flows in a given time
7. See menstruation
   an informal word for menstruation
8. 1. a marsh or swamp
   2. an inlet or basin of the sea
   3. ( capital when part of a name )

      Scapa Flow

9. flow of spirits
   flow of spirits natural happiness

Other Words From

• flowa·ble adjective
• flowa·bili·ty noun
• re·flow noun verb
• under·flow noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of flow¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of flow¹

Old English flōwan ; related to Old Norse flōa , Middle Low German vlōien , Greek plein to float, Sanskrit plavate he swims

Idioms and Phrases

see ebb and flow ; go with the flow .

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

But the jokes flow at such a torrential pace that duds are soon forgotten; the best are even Spamalot-worthy.

From The Daily Beast

Ebb and flow, checks and balances, the center would hold, et cetera.

From The Daily Beast

“The lies of the government shocked us,” says Fatima, as the tears flow slowly from her eyes and down her cheek.

From The Daily Beast

But before a new tide of tourists can flow from Miami to Havana, Cuba will need to build more runways.

From The Daily Beast

Speak to the friends and people you need to root out in life and let that conversation flow.

From The Daily Beast

The volcanic eruptions of the mountains on the west broke down its barriers, and let its waters flow.

From Project Gutenberg

And Tom, aware that he winced, was also aware that something in his life congealed and stopped its normal flow.

From Project Gutenberg

The arrows represent the flow of money from each of these four categories to the others.

From Project Gutenberg

Its entrance into and exit from banks is a flow, but not a circulation against goods.

From Project Gutenberg

Therefore, the total circulation exceeds the total flow from and to banks by the amount flowing through "nondepositors."

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cascade
• circulate
• continue
• discharge
• ebb
• flood
• glide
• gush
• leak
• overflow
• percolate
• pour
• proceed
• rush
• slide
• spill
• splash
• stream
• sweep
• swell