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)

streamlined, streamlining 

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

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.

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

The EU says it is only proposing technical changes to streamline the rules, but rights activists and EU lawmakers paint a different picture.

Read more on Barron's

Now, in an effort to lean into the name of the statuette and streamline the show’s title, the Screen Actors Guild Awards announced Friday that it is renaming the ceremony to the Actor Awards.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Quantum computing can streamline a host of intensive processes, such as scientific and financial modeling, making procedures like drug discovery and machine learning more efficient.

Read more on Barron's

Giavanna Vega, a former entry-level recruiter and internship program director at Automation Anywhere, which streamlines business processes, described the hiring environment as at a standstill.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Nissan will need more time to revamp its model lineup and streamline costs to regain growth momentum, Sun adds, though he doesn’t see “a quick fix to longer-term challenges, especially with intense competition in China.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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