flow: Meaning and Definition of
flow
Pronunciation: (flō), [key]
— v.i.
- to move along in a stream: The river flowed slowly to the sea.
- to circulate: blood flowing through one's veins.
- to stream or well forth: Warmth flows from the sun.
- to issue or proceed from a source: Orders flowed from the office.
- to menstruate.
- to come or go as in a stream: A constant stream of humanity flowed by.
- to proceed continuously and smoothly: Melody flowed from the violin.
- to hang loosely at full length: Her hair flowed over her shoulders.
- to abound in something: The tavern flowed with wine.
- to rise and advance, as the tide (opposed to ebb).
—v.t.
- to cause or permit to flow: to flow paint on a wall before brushing.
- to cover with water or other liquid; flood.
—n.
- an act of flowing.
- movement in or as if in a stream.
- the rate of flowing.
- 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.
- something that flows; stream.
- an outpouring or discharge of something, as in a stream: a flow of blood.
- menstruation.
- an overflowing; flood.
- the rise of the tide (opposed to ebb).
- progressive distortion of a metal object under continuous service at high temperature.
- the transference of energy: heat flow.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.