flume
[ floom ]
/ flum /
noun
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.
an artificial channel or trough for conducting water, as one used to transport logs or provide water power.
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.
verb (used with object), flumed, flum·ing.
to transport in a flume.
to divert (a stream) by a flume.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of flume
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English flum, from Old French, ultimately from Latin flūmen “river, stream”
Words nearby flume
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for flume
British Dictionary definitions for flume
flume
/ (fluːm) /
noun
a ravine through which a stream flows
a narrow artificial channel made for providing water for power, floating logs, etc
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
verb
(tr) to transport (logs) in a flume
Word Origin for flume
C12: from Old French flum, ultimately from Latin flūmen stream, from fluere to flow
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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