flume

American  

[floom] / flum /

noun

1. a deep narrow passage or mountain ravine with a stream flowing through it, often with great force.

   Hikers are warned to stay well clear of the flumes, especially during the spring thaw.

2. an artificial channel or trough for conducting water, as one used to transport logs or provide water power.

3. an amusement park ride in which passengers are carried in a boatlike or loglike conveyance through a narrow, water-filled chute or over a water slide.

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verb (used with object)

flumed, fluming

1. to transport in a flume.

2. to divert (a stream) by a flume.

flume British  

/ fluːm /

noun

1. a ravine through which a stream flows

2. a narrow artificial channel made for providing water for power, floating logs, etc

3. a slide in the form of a long and winding tube with a stream of water running through it that descends into a purpose-built pool

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verb

1. (tr) to transport (logs) in a flume

Etymology

Origin of flume

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English flum, from Old French, ultimately from Latin flūmen “river, stream”

Example Sentences

This was a commencement, not a log flume.

From Slate • May 27, 2025

Mock-ups of the experience, presented to Disney fans at the D23 convention on Saturday, showed a log flume plummeting down Pride Rock as Rafiki the monkey watches on.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2024

“One of the things that we thought about was that this particular flume configuration has always been a rite-of-passage type attraction for young kids,” Carter says.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2024

Currents and sediment input in the flume tank were simulated using pumps and monitored with a current meter.

From Science Daily • Oct. 6, 2023

A flume of vomit arched onto the floor.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter