Nearby Words

flowing

[floh-ing] Origin

flow·ing

[floh-ing]
adjective
1.
moving in or as in a stream: flowing water.
2.
proceeding smoothly or easily; facile: flowing language.
3.
long, smooth, graceful, and without sudden interruption or change of direction: flowing lines; flowing gestures.
4.
hanging loosely at full length: flowing hair.
5.
abounding; having in excess: a land flowing with milk and honey.

Origin:
before 950; Middle English flowynge, Old English flōwende. See flow, -ing2

flow·ing·ly, adverb
flow·ing·ness, noun
self-flow·ing, adjective
un·flow·ing, adjective

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Flowing is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
Dictionary.com Unabridged

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.
EXPAND
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).
COLLAPSE
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.
EXPAND
18.
an outpouring or discharge of something, as in a stream: a flow of blood.
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.
COLLAPSE

Origin:
before 900; (v.) Middle English flowen, Old English flōwan; akin to Middle Low German vlōien, Old Norse flōa; (noun) late Middle English: surge of a wave, derivative of the v.

flow·a·ble, adjective
flow·a·bil·i·ty, noun
re·flow, noun, verb
un·der·flow, noun

floe, flow (see synonym note at the current entry).


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. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To flowing
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

flow
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
EXPAND
"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. Related: Flowed; flowing.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

flow (flō)
v. flowed, flow·ing, flows

  1. To move or run smoothly with unbroken continuity.

  2. To circulate, as the blood in the body.

  3. To menstruate.

n.
  1. The smooth motion characteristic of fluids.

  2. The volume of fluid or gas passing a given point per unit of time.

  3. 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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Slang Dictionary

flow definition


  1. in.
    to menstruate. : She's flowing and could go swimming.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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