- stream
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—streamless, adj. —streamlike, adj./streem/, n.1. a body of water flowing in a channel or watercourse, as a river, rivulet, or brook.2. a steady current in water, as in a river or the ocean: to row against the stream; the Gulf Stream.3. any flow of water or other liquid or fluid: streams of blood.4. a current or flow of air, gas, or the like.5. a beam or trail of light: A stream of moonlight fell from the clouds.6. a continuous flow or succession of anything: a stream of words.7. prevailing direction; drift: the stream of opinion.8. on stream, in or into operation: The factory will be on stream in a month.v.i.9. to flow, pass, or issue in a stream, as water, tears, or blood.10. to send forth or throw off a stream; run or flow (often fol. by with): eyes streaming with tears.11. to extend in a beam or in rays, as light: Sunlight streamed in through the windows.12. to move or proceed continuously like a flowing stream, as a procession.13. to wave or float outward, as a flag in the wind.14. to hang in a loose, flowing manner, as long hair.v.t.15. to send forth or discharge in a stream: The wound streamed blood.16. to cause to stream or float outward, as a flag.17. Naut. to place (an object) in the water at the end of a line attached to a vessel.[bef. 900; (n.) ME streem, OE stream; c. G Strom, ON straumr; akin to Gk rheîn to flow (see RHEUM); (v.) ME streamen, deriv. of the n.]Syn. 1. rill, run, streamlet, runnel. STREAM, CURRENT refer to a steady flow. In this use they are interchangeable. In the sense of running water, however, a STREAM is a flow that may be as small as a brook or as large as a river: A number of streams have their sources in mountains. CURRENT refers to the most rapidly moving part of the stream: This river has a swift current. 2. flow, tide. 6. torrent, rush. 9. pour.
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(as used in expressions)stream channel* * *
Universalium. 2010.
