Adjacent Words

Flow definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FLOW, v.i. [L. fluo, contracted from fugo, for it forms fluri, fuctum. In one case, the word would agree with the root of blow, L. flo; in the other, with the root of fly.]
1. To move along an inclined plane, or on descending ground, by the operation of gravity, and with a continual change of place among the particles or parts, as a fluid. A solid body descends or moves in mass, as a ball or a wheel; but in the flowing of liquid substances, and others consisting of very fine particles, there is a constant change of the relative position of some parts of the substance, as in the case with a stream of water, of quicksilver, and of sand. Particles at the bottom and sides of the stream, being somewhat checked by friction, move slower than those in the middle and near the surface of the current. Rivers flow from springs and lakes; tears flow from the eyes.
2. To melt; to become liquid.
That the mountains might flow down at they presence.
Isaiah 64.
3. To proceed; to issue. Evils flow from different sources. Wealth flows from industry and economy. All our blessings flow from divine bounty
4. To abound; to have in abundance.
In that day the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk. Joel 3.
5. To be full; to be copious; as flowing cups or goblets.
6. To glide along smoothly, without harshness or asperity; as a flowing period; flowing numbers.
7. To be smooth, as composition or utterance. The orator has a flowing tongue.
Virgil is sweet and flowing in his hexameters.
8. To hang loose and waving; as a flowing mantle; flowing locks.
The imperial purple flowing in his train.
9. To rise, as the tide; opposed to ebb. The tide flows twice in twenty four hours.
10. To move in the arteries and veins of the body; to circulate, as blood.
11. To issue, as rays or beams of light.
Light flows from the sun.
12. To move in a stream, as air.
FLOW, v.t. To cover with water; to overflow; to inundate. The low grounds along the river are annually flowed.
FLOW, n.
1. A stream of water or other fluid; a current; as a flow of water; a flow of blood.
2. A current of water with a swell or rise; as the flow and ebb of tides.
3. A stream of any thing; as a flow of wealth into the country.
4. Abundance; copiousness with action; as a flow of spirits.
5. A stream of diction, denoting abundance of words at command and facility of speaking; volubility.
6. Free expression or communication of generous feelings and sentiments.
The feast of reason, and the flow of soul.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases) [syn: flow, flowing]
2: the amount of fluid that flows in a given time [syn: flow, flow rate, rate of flow]
3: the act of flowing or streaming; continuous progression [syn: flow, stream]
4: any uninterrupted stream or discharge
5: something that resembles a flowing stream in moving continuously; "a stream of people emptied from the terminal"; "the museum had planned carefully for the flow of visitors" [syn: stream, flow]
6: dominant course (suggestive of running water) of successive events or ideas; "two streams of development run through American history"; "stream of consciousness"; "the flow of thought"; "the current of history" [syn: stream, flow, current]
7: the monthly discharge of blood from the uterus of nonpregnant women from puberty to menopause; "the women were sickly and subject to excessive menstruation"; "a woman does not take the gout unless her menses be stopped"--Hippocrates; "the semen begins to appear in males and to be emitted at the same time of life that the catamenia begin to flow in females"-- Aristotle [syn: menstruation, menses, menstruum, catamenia, period, flow] v
1: move or progress freely as if in a stream; "The crowd flowed out of the stadium" [syn: flow, flux]
2: move along, of liquids; "Water flowed into the cave"; "the Missouri feeds into the Mississippi" [syn: run, flow, feed, course]
3: cause to flow; "The artist flowed the washes on the paper"
4: be abundantly present; "The champagne flowed at the wedding"
5: fall or flow in a certain way; "This dress hangs well"; "Her long black hair flowed down her back" [syn: hang, fall, flow]
6: cover or swamp with water
7: undergo menstruation; "She started menstruating at the age of 11" [syn: menstruate, flow]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English fl?wan; akin to Old High German flouwen to rinse, wash, Latin pluere to rain, Greek plein to sail, float Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. a. (1) to issue or move in a stream (2) circulate b. to move with a continual change of place among the constituent particles <molasses flows slowly> 2. rise <the tide ebbs and flows> 3. abound <a land flowing with natural resources> 4. a. to proceed smoothly and readily <conversation flowed easily> b. to have a smooth continuity 5. to hang loose and billowing <her gown flowed around her> 6. to derive from a source ; come <the wealth that flows from trade> 7. to deform under stress without cracking or rupturing — used especially of minerals and rocks 8. menstruate transitive verb 1. to cause to flow 2. to discharge in a flow Synonyms: see spring • flowingly adverb II. noun Date: 15th century 1. an act of flowing 2. a. flood 1a b. flood 2 <the tide's ebb and flow> 3. a. a smooth uninterrupted movement or progress <a flow of information> b. stream; also a mass of material which has flowed when molten <an old lava flow> c. the direction of movement or development <go with the flow> 4. the quantity that flows in a certain time <a gauge that measures fuel flow> 5. menstruation 6. a. the motion characteristic of fluids b. a continuous transfer of energy

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v.intr. 1 glide along as a stream (the Thames flows under London Bridge). 2 a (of a liquid, esp. water) gush out; spring. b (of blood, liquid, etc.) be spilt. 3 (of blood, money, electric current, etc.) circulate. 4 (of people or things) come or go in large numbers or smoothly (traffic flowed down the hill). 5 (of talk, literary style, etc.) proceed easily and smoothly. 6 (of a garment, hair, etc.) hang easily or gracefully; undulate. 7 (often foll. by from) result from; be caused by (his failure flows from his diffidence). 8 (esp. of the tide) be in flood; run full. 9 (of wine) be poured out copiously. 10 (of a rock or metal) undergo a permanent change of shape under stress. 11 (foll. by with) archaic be plentifully supplied with (land flowing with milk and honey). --n. 1 a a flowing movement in a stream. b the manner in which a thing flows (a sluggish flow). c a flowing liquid (couldn't stop the flow). d a copious outpouring; a stream (a continuous flow of complaints). 2 the rise of a tide or a river (ebb and flow). 3 the gradual deformation of a rock or metal under stress. 4 Sc. a bog or morass. Phrases and idioms: flow chart (or diagram or sheet) 1 a diagram of the movement or action of things or persons engaged in a complex activity. 2 a graphical representation of a computer program in relation to its sequence of functions (as distinct from the data it processes). flow of spirits habitual cheerfulness. flow-on Austral. a wage or salary adjustment made as a consequence of one already made in a similar or related occupation. Etymology: OE flowan f. Gmc, rel. to FLOOD

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Flow Flow (fl[=o]), obs. imp. sing. of Fly, v. i. --Chaucer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Flow Flow (fl[=o]), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Flowed (fl[=o]d); p. pr. & vb. n. Flowing.] [AS. fl[=o]wan; akin to D. vloeijen, OHG. flawen to wash, Icel. fl[=o]a to deluge, Gr. plw`ein to float, sail, and prob. ultimately to E. float, fleet. [root]80. Cf. Flood.] 1. To move with a continual change of place among the particles or parts, as a fluid; to change place or circulate, as a liquid; as, rivers flow from springs and lakes; tears flow from the eyes. 2. To become liquid; to melt. The mountains flowed down at thy presence. --Is. lxiv. 3. 3. To proceed; to issue forth; as, wealth flows from industry and economy. Those thousand decencies that daily flow From all her words and actions. --Milton. 4. To glide along smoothly, without harshness or asperties; as, a flowing period; flowing numbers; to sound smoothly to the ear; to be uttered easily. Virgil is sweet and flowingin his hexameters. --Dryden. 5. To have or be in abundance; to abound; to full, so as to run or flow over; to be copious. In that day . . . the hills shall flow with milk. --Joel iii. 18. The exhilaration of a night that needed not the influence of the flowing bowl. --Prof. Wilson. 6. To hang loose and waving; as, a flowing mantle; flowing locks. The imperial purple flowing in his train. --A. Hamilton. 7. To rise, as the tide; -- opposed to ebb; as, the tide flows twice in twenty-four hours. The river hath thrice flowed, no ebb between. --Shak. 8. To discharge blood in excess from the uterus.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Flow Flow, v. t. 1. To cover with water or other liquid; to overflow; to inundate; to flood. 2. To cover with varnish.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Flow Flow, n. 1. A stream of water or other fluid; a current; as, a flow of water; a flow of blood. 2. A continuous movement of something abundant; as, a flow of words. 3. Any gentle, gradual movement or procedure of thought, diction, music, or the like, resembling the quiet, steady movement of a river; a stream. The feast of reason and the flow of soul. --Pope. 4. The tidal setting in of the water from the ocean to the shore. See Ebb and flow, under Ebb. 5. A low-lying piece of watery land; -- called also flow moss and flow bog. [Scot.] --Jamieson.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(flows, flowing, flowed) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If a liquid, gas, or electrical current flows somewhere, it moves there steadily and continuously. A stream flowed gently down into the valley... The current flows into electric motors that drive the wheels. ...compressor stations that keep the gas flowing. VERB: V adv/prep, V adv/prep, V • Flow is also a noun. It works only in the veins, where the blood flow is slower. N-VAR: with supp 2. If a number of people or things flow from one place to another, they move there steadily in large groups, usually without stopping. Large numbers of refugees continue to flow from the troubled region into the no-man's land... VERB: V prep/adv • Flow is also a noun. She watched the frantic flow of cars and buses along the street... N-VAR: with supp 3. If information or money flows somewhere, it moves freely between people or organizations. A lot of this information flowed through other police departments... An interest rate reduction is needed to get more money flowing and create jobs. VERB: V prep/adv, V • Flow is also a noun. ...the opportunity to control the flow of information. N-VAR: with supp see also cash flow 4. Someone who is in full flow is talking easily and continuously and seems likely to go on talking for some time. He had been replying for some 40 minutes already and was still in full flow. PHRASE: v-link PHR 5. If you say that an activity, or the person who is performing the activity, is in full flow, you mean that the activity has started and is being carried out with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm. Lunch at Harry's Bar was in full flow when Irene made a splendid entrance... PHRASE: v-link PHR 6. If you go with the flow, you let things happen or let other people tell you what to do, rather than trying to control what happens yourself. There's nothing I can do about the problem, so I might as well go with the flow. PHRASE: V inflects

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. Stream, run, pour, roll on, sweep along. 2. Melt, liquefy, be molten, deliquesce. 3. Issue, emanate, proceed, come, grow, arise, follow, spring, result, be derived. 4. Glide, move along easily or smoothly. 5. Wave, float, undulate, waver, hang loosely. 6. Abound, be full, be copious. II. v. a. 1. Flood, inundate, deluge, overflow, cover with water. 2. Cause to flow (as varnish or paint). III. n. 1. Stream, current, flux, flood. 2. Abundance, copiousness.

Moby Thesaurus

Atticism, Brownian movement, abound, abundance, accrue from, advance, affluence, afflux, affluxion, air flow, ample sufficiency, ampleness, amplitude, angular motion, appropriateness, arise, arise from, ascend, ascending, ascent, avalanche, axial motion, back, back up, backflowing, backing, backward motion, bag, be contingent on, be due to, be effortless, be painless, begin, blow out, bonanza, bountifulness, bountiousness, brim, bristle with, bubble, bud from, budge, bumper crop, burble, career, cascade, change, change place, chasteness, chastity, chylifaction, chylification, circle, circulate, clarity, classicalism, classicism, clearness, climb, climbing, coast, coasting, come, come from, come out of, comeliness, commute, concourse, confluence, conflux, continuance, continuation, continue, continuity, copiousness, correctness, course, cover, cover ground, crawl, crawl with, creep with, crosscurrent, current, daggle, dangle, defluxion, deluge, depend, depend on, derive from, descend, descend from, descending, descent, dignity, direct tide, directness, discharge, discrimination, disembogue, distinction, downflow, downpour, downward motion, drabble, drag, draggle, drain, drain out, drape, drift, driftage, droop, ease, ebb, ebb and flow, ebb tide, ebbing, effusion, egestion, ejaculation, ejection, elapse, elegance, elegancy, elimination, emanate, emanate from, emerge from, emission, emit, empty, endure, ensue from, excess, excretion, exhaust, expire, extravagance, extravasation, extrusion, exuberance, exuberate, exudation, facility, fall, fare, fare forth, felicitousness, felicity, fertility, fetch, find vent, finish, fittingness, flap, flight, flit, flood, flood tide, flop, flow back, flow from, flow in, flow on, flow out, flowing, flowing periods, fluency, fluidity, fluidness, flush, flux, flux and reflux, fluxility, fluxion, fly, foison, follow from, forward motion, full measure, full tide, fullness, gang, generosity, generousness, germinate from, get over, give no trouble, give off, glide, gliding, glissade, go, go along, go around, go by, go easily, go like clockwork, go on, go round, go sideways, good taste, grace, gracefulness, gracility, great abundance, great plenty, grow from, grow out of, gurgle, gush, gush out, gyrate, hang, hang down, hang on, head, hie, high tide, high water, hinge on, ice-skate, inflood, inflow, inpour, inrush, issue, issue from, jet, juiciness, lactation, lactescence, landslide, lapse, last, lavishness, liberality, liberalness, limpidity, liquefaction, liquidness, lop, lots, low tide, low water, lucidity, lunar tide, luxuriance, make, maximum, milkiness, mill run, millrace, moisture, more than enough, mount, mounting, move, move along, move on, move over, movement, much, myriad, myriads, naturalness, neap, neap tide, neatness, nod, numerousness, oblique motion, ongoing, onrush, onward course, opposite tide, opulence, opulency, originate, originate in, outflow, outpour, outpouring, overflow, overflowing, overspread, pass, pass by, passage, pellucidity, pend, perspicuity, plainness, plenitude, plenteousness, plentifulness, plenty, plethora, plunge, plunging, poetry, polish, pour, pour in, pour out, present no difficulties, press on, prevalence, proceed, proceed from, prodigality, productiveness, profuseness, profusion, progress, progression, proliferate, propriety, pullulate, purity, purl, quantities, race, radial motion, rain, random motion, refinement, reflowing, refluence, reflux, regress, regression, regurgitate, repleteness, repletion, restraint, retrogress, retrogression, rheuminess, rich harvest, rich vein, richness, riot, riotousness, rip, ripple, riptide, rise, rising, roll, roll on, roller-skate, rotate, run, run its course, run on, run out, run over, run smoothly, rush, sag, sail, sailing, sappiness, sashay, scads, secretion, seemliness, sequence, series, serosity, set, shift, shower, sideslip, sideward motion, simplicity, sink, sinking, skate, skateboard, skating, ski, skid, skiing, skim, sled, sledding, sleigh, slide, sliding, slip, slipping, slither, slithering, sluice, sluice out, smoothness, soar, soaring, solar tide, spate, spew, spew out, spill, spin, spout, spout out, spread, spring, spring from, spring tide, sprout from, spurt, squirt, stem, stem from, sternway, stir, straightforwardness, stream, subside, subsiding, substantiality, substantialness, succession, succulence, superabundance, supply, suppuration, surge, surge back, swag, swarm, swarm with, sweep, sweeping, swing, swirl, taste, tastefulness, teem, teem with, teemingness, terseness, thalassometer, tidal amplitude, tidal current, tidal current chart, tidal flow, tidal range, tide, tide chart, tide gate, tide gauge, tide race, tide rip, tidewater, tideway, tobogganing, trail, traject, trajet, transudation, travel, trend, trickle, turbulence, turn on, unaffectedness, undercurrent, undertow, upward motion, vomit forth, wane, water flow, wateriness, wayfare, wealth, weep, well, well out, wend, whirl, work well