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flow - 8 dictionary results
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. |
| 8. | to hang loosely at full length: Her hair flowed over her shoulders. |
| 9. | to abound in something: The tavern flowed with wine. |
| 10. | to rise and advance, as the tide (opposed to ebb ). |
–verb (used with object)
| 11. | to cause or permit to flow: to flow paint on a wall before brushing. |
| 12. | to cover with water or other liquid; flood. |
–noun
| 13. | an act of flowing. |
| 14. | movement in or as if in a stream. |
| 15. | the rate of flowing. |
| 16. | 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. |
| 17. | something that flows; stream. |
| 18. | an outpouring or discharge of something, as in a stream: a flow of blood. |
| 19. | menstruation. |
| 20. | an overflowing; flood. |
| 21. | the rise of the tide (opposed to ebb ). |
| 22. | Machinery. progressive distortion of a metal object under continuous service at high temperature. |
| 23. | Physics. the transference of energy: heat flow. |
Origin:
bef. 900; (v.) ME flowen, OE flōwan; akin to MLG vlōien, ON flōa; (n.) late ME: surge of a wave, deriv. of the v.
bef. 900; (v.) ME flowen, OE flōwan; akin to MLG vlōien, ON flōa; (n.) late ME: surge of a wave, deriv. of the v.

Related forms:
flow⋅a⋅ble, adjective
flow⋅a⋅bil⋅i⋅ty, noun
Synonyms:
1. 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. 7. run. 9. teem.
1. 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. 7. run. 9. teem.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To flow
flow (flō) v. flowed, flow·ing, flows v. intr.
[Middle English flouen, from Old English flōwan; see pleu- in Indo-European roots.] flow'ing·ly adv. Synonyms: These nouns denote something suggestive of running water: a flow of thought; the current of history; a flood of ideas; a flux of words; a rush of sympathy; a stream of complaints; a tide of immigration. See Also Synonyms at stem1. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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flow (v.)
O.E. flowan (class VII strong verb; past tense fleow, pp. flowen), from P.Gmc. *flo- (cf. Du. vloeien "to flow," O.N. floa "to deluge," O.H.G. flouwen "to rinse, wash"), probably from PIE *pleu- "flow, float" (cf. Skt. plavate "navigates, swims," plavayati "overflows;" Armenian helum "I pour;" Gk. plyno "I wash," pleo "swim, go by sea;" L. pluere "to rain;" O.C.S. plovo "to flow, navigate;" Lith. pilu "to pour out," plauti "rinse"). The weak form predominated from 14c., but strong pp. flown is occasionally attested through 18c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: 1flow
Pronunciation: 'flO
Function: intransitive verb
1 : to move with a continual change of place among the constituentparticles
2 : MENSTRUATE
Main Entry: 2flow
Function: noun
1 : the quantity that flows in a certain time
2 :
3 : the motion characteristic of fluids
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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flow (flō)
v. flowed, flow·ing, flows
- To move or run smoothly with unbroken continuity.
- To circulate, as the blood in the body.
- To menstruate.
- The smooth motion characteristic of fluids.
- The volume of fluid or gas passing a given point per unit of time.
- Menstrual discharge.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Flow tool
A companion utility to Floppy by Julian James Bunn
Posted to comp.sources.misc volume 31.
(1995-03-14)
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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flow
see ebb and flow; go with the flow.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.