flow

Use flow in a sentence

A stream flows through the forest.

noun

The definition of a flow is an act of moving or running smoothly, a movement of water or the continuous moving of ideas, stories, etc.
1. An example of a flow is a steady movement through the development of a research paper.
2. An example of a flow is the movement of a stream.
3. An example of a flow is a class session where students constantly offer input.

verb

To flow is defined as to run or move smoothly.
An example of flow is for a classroom session to run without any problems.

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"flow." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW>.

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flow. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW

flow

to move as a liquid does; move in a stream, like water
to move in a way suggestive of a liquid; stream: crowds flowed past
1. to move gently, smoothly, and easily; glide
2. to have smooth and pleasing continuity: the lines in the painting flowed
to stream forth; pour out
to be derived; spring; proceed
to fall in waves; hang loose: her long hair flowed down her back
to come in; rise, as the tide
to be overflowing or plentiful
Geol. to change in shape under pressure without breaking or splitting, as ice in a glacier or rocks deep in the earth

Origin of flow

Middle English flouen from Old English flowan, akin to Old Norse floa, to flood, Old High German flouwen, to wash from Indo-European base an unverified form pleu-, to run, flow, fly from source flood, fly, flee, fleet, float, Classical Latin pluere, to rain

to overflow; flood
Archaic to cause to flow

the act or manner of flowing
the rate of flowing
anything that flows; stream or current
a continuous production: a flow of ideas
the rising of the tide

flow Idioms

go with the flow

Informal to conform to or accept, rather than resist, a trend, condition, development, etc.

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"flow." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW>.

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flow. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW

flow

verb

flowed, flow·ing, flows

verb

intransitive

a. To move or run smoothly with unbroken continuity, as in the manner characteristic of a fluid.
b. To issue in a stream; pour forth: Sap flowed from the gash in the tree.
To circulate, as the blood in the body.
To move with a continual shifting of component particles: wheat flowing into the bin; traffic flowing through the tunnel.
To proceed steadily and easily: The preparations flowed smoothly.
To exhibit a smooth or graceful continuity: The poem's cadence flowed gracefully.
To hang loosely and gracefully: The cape flowed from his shoulders.
To rise. Used of the tide.
To arise; derive: Many conclusions flow from this hypothesis.
a. To be abundant; teem: coffers flowing with treasure; wine flowing at the celebration.
b. To move from one place to another in large numbers: Contributions flowed in from all parts of the country.
To menstruate.
To undergo plastic deformation without cracking or breaking. Used of rocks, metals, or minerals.

verb

transitive

To release as a flow: trees flowing thin sap.
To cause to flow: “One of the real keys to success is developing a system where you can flow traffic to yourselves” ( Marc Klee )

noun

a. The act of flowing.
b. The smooth motion characteristic of fluids.
a. A stream or current.
b. A flood or overflow.
c. A residual mass that has stopped flowing: a hardened lava flow.
a. A continuous output or outpouring: a flow of ideas; produced a steady flow of stories.
b. A continuous movement or circulation: the flow of traffic; a flow of paperwork across his desk.
The amount that flows in a given period of time.
The rising of the tide.
Continuity and smoothness of appearance.
A general movement or tendency: a dissenter who went against the flow of opinion.
The sequence in which operations are performed.
An apparent ease or effortlessness of performance: “An athlete must learn to forget the details of his or her training to achieve the instinctive sense of flow that characterizes a champion” ( Frederick Turner )
Menstrual discharge.

Origin of flow

Middle English flouen from Old English flōwan ; see pleu- in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

flow′ing·ly
adverb

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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"flow." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW>.

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flow. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW

flow

flow current flood flux rush ¹stream tide ¹

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, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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MLA Style

"flow." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW>.

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flow. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW

Noun

(countable and uncountable, plural flows)

The movement of a real or figurative fluid.
The rising movement of the tide.
Smoothness or continuity.
The room was small, but it had good symmetry and flow.
The amount of a fluid that moves or the rate of fluid movement.
Turn on the valve and make sure you have sufficient flow.
(psychology) The state of being at one with.

Related terms

antiflow
dark flow
ebb and flow
flowable
inflow
midflow
outflow
postflow
preflow
reflow
reflowable

Verb

(third-person singular simple present flows, present participle flowing, simple past and past participle flowed)

(intransitive) To move as a fluid from one position to another.
Rivers flow from springs and lakes.
Tears flow from the eyes.
(intransitive) To proceed; to issue forth.
Wealth flows from industry and economy.
(intransitive) To move or match smoothly, gracefully, or continuously.
The writing is grammatically correct, but it just doesn't flow.
(intransitive) To have or be in abundance; to abound, so as to run or flow over.
(intransitive) To hang loosely and wave.
a flowing mantle; flowing locks
(intransitive) To rise, as the tide; opposed to ebb.
The tide flows twice in twenty-four hours.
(computing) To arrange (text in a wordprocessor, etc.) so that it wraps neatly into a designated space; to reflow.
To cover with water or other liquid; to overflow; to inundate; to flood.
To cover with varnish.
(intransitive) To discharge excessive blood from the uterus.

Origin

From Old English flōwan, from Proto-Germanic *flōaną, from Proto-Indo-European *plōw-. Cognate from Proto-Indo-European (via Latin) with fluent, flux.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

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"flow." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW>.

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flow. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW

flow - Computer Definition

Movement in a manner suggestive of a liquid. Movement in a smooth and gentle manner, like water in a stream. See also stream-oriented.
In telecommunications, a sequence of bits, bytes, datagrams, or packets between common endpoints identified by features such as network addresses and port numbers. See also bit, byte, datagram, endpoint, packet, and port.

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"flow." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW>.

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flow. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW

flow - Medical Definition

v.

To move or run smoothly with unbroken continuity.
To circulate, as the blood in the body.
To menstruate.

n.

The smooth motion characteristic of fluids.
Menstrual discharge.

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MLA Style

"flow." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW>.

APA Style

flow. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/floW

Synonyms

SentencesSentence examples

flow

flow

flow

flow

flow - Computer Definition

flow - Medical Definition

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WORDS NEAR flow IN THE DICTIONARY

flow

flow

flow

flow

flow - Computer Definition

flow - Medical Definition

Sentence Examples

Also Mentioned In

WORDS NEAR flow IN THE DICTIONARY

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