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torrent - 6 dictionary results

tor⋅rent

  [tawr-uhnt, tor-]
Use torrent in a Sentence
–noun
1. a stream of water flowing with great rapidity and violence.
2. a rushing, violent, or abundant and unceasing stream of anything: a torrent of lava.
3. a violent downpour of rain.
4. a violent, tumultuous, or overwhelming flow: a torrent of abuse.
–adjective
5. torrential.
Origin:
1595–1605; < L torrent- (s. of torrēns) seething, lit., burning, prp. of torrēre to burn, parch; see torrid, -ent

Synonyms:
4. outburst, deluge, flood, spate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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tor·rent   (tôr'ənt, tŏr'-)   
n.  
  1. A turbulent, swift-flowing stream.
  2. A heavy downpour; a deluge.
  3. A heavy, uncontrolled outpouring: a torrent of insults; torrents of mail.

[Latin torrēns, torrent-, from present participle of torrēre, to burn; see ters- in Indo-European roots.]
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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Torrent

Tor"rent\, n. [F., fr. L. torrens, -entis, fr. torrens burning, roaring, boiling, p. pr. of torrere to dry by heat, to burn. See Torrid.]

1. A violent stream, as of water, lava, or the like; a stream suddenly raised and running rapidly, as down a precipice.

The roaring torrent is deep and wide. --Longfellow.

2. Fig.: A violent or rapid flow; a strong current; a flood; as, a torrent of vices; a torrent of eloquence.

At length, Erasmus, that great injured name, . . . Stemmed the wild torrent of a barbarous age. --Pope.

Torrent

Tor"rent\, a. [See Torrent, n.] Rolling or rushing in a rapid stream. "Waves of torrent fire." --Milton.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : torrent
Spanish: torrente,
German: der Sturzbach,
Japanese: 奔流
More Translations »

torrent 
1601, from Fr. torrent, from L. torrentem (nom. torrens) "rushing stream," originally "roaring, boiling, burning, parching," prp. of torrere "to parch" (see terrain). Sense of "any onrush" (of words, feelings, etc.) first recorded 1647. Torrential first attested 1849.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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torrent
BitTorrent

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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