Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense flows, present participle flowing, past tense, past participle flowed
1. verb
If a liquid, gas, or electrical current flows somewhere, it moves there steadily and continuously.
A stream flowed gently down into the valley. [VERB adverb/preposition]
The current flows into electric motors that drive the wheels. [VERB adverb/preposition]
...compressor stations that keep the gas flowing. [VERB]
Synonyms: run, course, rush, sweep More Synonyms of flow
Flow is also a noun.
It works only in the veins, where the blood flow is slower.
2. verb
If a number of people or things flow from one place to another, they move there steadily in large groups, usually withoutstopping.
Large numbers of refugees continue to flow from the troubled region into the no-man'sland. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Troops would patrol major roads to ensure that traffic flows freely throughout thecountry. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: pour, move, sweep, flood More Synonyms of flow
Flow is also a noun.
She watched the frantic flow of cars and buses along the street. [+ of]
It would monitor traffic flows and provide feedback to motorists.
3. verb
If information or money flows somewhere, it moves freely between people or organizations.
A lot of this information flowed through other police departments. [VERB preposition/adverb]
An interest rate reduction is needed to get more money flowing and create jobs. [VERB]
Flow is also a noun.
...the opportunity to control the flow of information.
4. See also cash flow
5. verb
If an emotion flows through someone, they feel it very intensely, often so that other people notice it.
[literary]
In that moment a surge of hatred flowed through my blood. [VERB preposition]
Waves of emotion flowed across his huge face. [VERB preposition]
6. verb
If a quality or situation flowsfrom something, it comes from it or results naturally from it.
Undesirable consequences flow from these misconceptions. [VERBfrom noun]
Synonyms: issue, follow, result, emerge More Synonyms of flow
7. verb
If someone's words flow, they are spoken smoothly and continuously.
His words flowed more readily. [VERB]
8. verb
If someone's hair or clothing flows about them, it hangs freely and loosely.
[literary]
...a long white dress which flowed over her body. [VERB preposition]
...long black flowing hair. [VERB-ing]
9. verb
If you say that something flows or that a place flowswith it, you are indicating that there is a great deal of that thing in the place.
The wine flowed and we danced the night away. [VERB]
The square was packed, and the cobbled streets flowed with coloured petals. [VERBwith noun]
10.
See in full flow
11.
See in full flow
12.
See go with the flow
More Synonyms of flow
flow in British English
(fləʊ)
verb(mainly intr)
1.
(of liquids) to move or be conveyed as in a stream
2.
(of blood) to circulate around the body
3.
to move or progress freely as if in a stream
the crowd flowed into the building
4.
to proceed or be produced continuously and effortlessly
ideas flowed from her pen
5.
to show or be marked by smooth or easy movement
6.
to hang freely or loosely
her hair flowed down her back
7.
to be present in abundance
wine flows at their parties
8. an informal word for menstruate
9.
(of tide water) to advance or rise
Compare ebb (sense 1)
10. (transitive)
to cover or swamp with liquid; flood
11.
(of rocks such as slate) to yield to pressure without breaking so that the structure and arrangement of the constituent minerals are altered
noun
12.
the act, rate, or manner of flowing
a fast flow
13.
a continuous stream or discharge
14.
continuous progression
15.
the advancing of the tide
16.
a stream of molten or solidified lava
17.
the amount of liquid that flows in a given time
18. an informal word for menstruation
19. Scottish
a.
a marsh or swamp
b.
an inlet or basin of the sea
c.
(capital when part of a name)
Scapa Flow
20. flow of spirits
Word origin
Old English flōwan; related to Old Norse flōa, Middle Low German vlōien, Greek plein to float, Sanskrit plavate he swims
flow in American English
(floʊ)
verb intransitive
1.
to move as a liquid does; move in a stream, like water
2.
to move in a way suggestive of a liquid; stream
crowds flowed past
3.
a.
to move gently, smoothly, and easily; glide
b.
to have smooth and pleasing continuity
the lines in the painting flowed
4.
to stream forth; pour out
5.
to be derived; spring; proceed
6.
to fall in waves; hang loose
her long hair flowed down her back
7.
to come in; rise, as the tide
8.
to be overflowing or plentiful
9. Geology
to change in shape under pressure without breaking or splitting, as ice in a glacier or rocks deep in the earth
verb transitive
10.
to overflow; flood
11. Archaic
to cause to flow
noun
12.
the act or manner of flowing
13.
the rate of flowing
14.
anything that flows; stream or current
15.
a continuous production
a flow of ideas
16.
the rising of the tide
SIMILAR WORDS: rise
Idioms:
go with the flow
Derived forms
flowingly (ˈflowingly)
adverb
Word origin
ME flouen < OE flowan, akin to ON floa, to flood, OHG flouwen, to wash < IE base *pleu-, to run, flow, fly > flood, fly1, flee, fleet2, float, L pluere, to rain
More idioms containing
flow
go with the flow
be in full flow
Examples of 'flow' in a sentence
flow
What is also true is that this is some side when they are in full flow.
The Sun (2016)
The time interval is a measure of how fast information is flowing.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Tears also flowed because football had lost a dignified man in a realm not given to decorum.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The grainy scrub uses ground seaweed to scuff off dead skin and promote blood flow.
The Sun (2017)
It completed a brilliant, flowing move with a powerful angled drive from the right side of the box.
The Sun (2016)
The traffic was flowing freely.
The Sun (2017)
It was also explained to her that as a large church with a regular flow of new people, there were many others who needed help.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Your car uses computer equipment to control the flow of electricity through the vehicle.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The absence of forgiveness gums up the possibility of redemptive life flowing to people.
Christianity Today (2000)
What are the advantages of continuous flow production?
Joanna Blythman Bad Food Britain (2006)
Your creative ideas flow fast and include two winners.
The Sun (2012)
This improves blood flow and thus hair growth.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
She also sported a flowing blonde wig.
The Sun (2012)
This is when his red blood cells block blood flow to the limbs and organs.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The spatial interval constitutes a pause in the flow of narrative time.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
You need to go with the flow.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They had maintained their controls on the flows of speculative capital entering or leaving the economy.
George Monbiot THE AGE OF CONSENT (2003)
Now the bucks are flowing freely for him.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Other trial schemes have flowed thick and fast.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Easily recognisable from the flowing long hair cascading out the back of his helmet.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Low flow also affects salmon migration and fisheries.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The strengths of his game when in full flow remain something to behold.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Her physicians had to guess her health from the endless flow of information that she provided about it.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Tudor Farmhouse has a pretty garden with a stream flowing over large pebbles.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
What if you don't have any control over the information flow?
Larry Downes THE STRATEGY MACHINE (2002)
This disrupted the jet stream which flows over the Pacific.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The Arsenal moves continued to flow.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
flow
British English: flow /fləʊ/ VERB
If a liquid, gas, or electrical current flows somewhere, it moves there steadily and continuously.
A stream flowed gently down into the valley.
American English: flow
Arabic: يَتَدَفَّقُ
Brazilian Portuguese: fluir
Chinese: 流动
Croatian: teći
Czech: proudit
Danish: strømme
Dutch: stromen
European Spanish: fluir
Finnish: virrata
French: couler cours d’eau
German: fließen
Greek: κυλώ
Italian: scorrere
Japanese: 流れる
Korean: 흐르다
Norwegian: strømme
Polish: popłynąć
European Portuguese: fluir
Romanian: a curge
Russian: течь
Latin American Spanish: fluir
Swedish: flyta
Thai: ไหล
Turkish: akmak
Ukrainian: текти
Vietnamese: chảy
All related terms of 'flow'
flow-on
resulting inevitably but indirectly from another event or circumstance
cash flow
The cash flow of a firm or business is the movement of money into and out of it.
fuel flow
Fuel flow is the movement of oil or gas through delivery pipes .
gene flow
the movement and exchange of genes between interbreeding populations
lava flow
liquid or solidified lava which has erupted from a volcano onto the Earth's surface
slip flow
gas flow occurring at hypersonic speeds in which molecular shearing occurs
slug flow
A slug flow is a condition of a fluidized bed in which large bubbles of gas form, which makes lumps of particles move.
axial flow
the flow of air parallel to the longitudinal axis of the engine of a jet aircraft
blood flow
the flow of blood through blood vessels around the body
flow chart
A flow chart or a flow diagram is a diagram which represents the sequence of actions in a particular process or activity .
flow mixer
A flow mixer is a mixer with a short contact time, used in a continuous process or stage .
flow sheet
→ flowchart
Scapa Flow
an extensive landlocked anchorage off the N coast of Scotland , in the Orkney Islands: major British naval base in both World Wars . Length : about 24 km (15 miles). Width : 13 km (8 miles)
customer flow
Customer flow is the movement of customers around a store .
flow control
Flow control is the control and monitoring of fluids in a process.
Flow Country
an area of moorland and peat bogs in northern Scotland known for its wildlife , now partly afforested
flow function
The flow function is the relationship between the strength of a compact and the degree of compaction.
flow pattern
The flow pattern is the way in which fluids move through a reactor .
laminar flow
nonturbulent motion of a fluid in which parallel layers have different velocities relative to each other
viscous flow
flow of a fluid in which its velocity at any point is constant or varies in a regular manner. It can be represented by streamlines
ebb and flow
You can use ebb and flow to describe the way that something repeatedly increases and decreases or rises and falls .
in full flow
Someone who is in full flow is talking easily and continuously and seems likely to go on talking for some time.
multiphase flow
Multiphase flow is a type of flow that involves more than one fluid , for example a liquid and a gas , or two liquids that do not mix .
potential flow
Potential flow is a way of describing flow in a fluid using streamlines .
rate of flow
the rate at which a liquid or other substance flows through a particular channel , pipe etc
streamline flow
flow of a fluid in which its velocity at any point is constant or varies in a regular manner. It can be represented by streamlines
turbulent flow
flow of a fluid in which its velocity at any point varies rapidly in an irregular manner
free cash flow
Free cash flow is revenue of a business that is available to spend .
be in full flow
if an activity, or the person who is performing the activity, is in full flow, the activity has started and is being done with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm . The American expression is be in full flood .
flow of spirits
natural happiness
go with the flow
If you go with the flow , you let things happen or let other people tell you what to do, rather than trying to control what happens yourself.
mixed-flow turbine
a water turbine in which water flows radially and axially through the rotating vanes
negative cash flow
the situation when income is less than payments
open-channel flow
Open-channel flow is a liquid flow in a channel , which has a free liquid surface.
axial-flow compressor
a device for compressing a gas by accelerating it tangentially by means of bladed rotors , to increase its kinetic energy, and then diffusing it through static vanes ( stators ), to increase its pressure
cash-flow statement
a financial statement that shows a company's cash disbursements and receipts over a given period
discounted cash flow
a technique for appraising an investment that takes into account the different values of future returns according to when they will be received
flowchart
a diagrammatic representation of the sequence of operations or equipment in an industrial process, computer program , etc
PRENFLO process
The PRENFLO process is a gasification process to convert substances such as oil, gas, coal , and refinery residue into synthetic gas.
Chinese translation of 'flow'
flow
(fləu)
vi
[liquid, gas, electricity]流动(動) (liúdòng)
[traffic, people]川流不息 (chuānliú bù xī)
[money, information]流通 (liútōng)
(liter)[clothes, hair]飘(飄)垂 (piāochuí)
n(c/u)
[of liquid, gas, electricity]流动(動) (liúdòng)
[of traffic]川流不息 (chuān liú bù xī)
[of money, information]流通 (liútōng)
[of tide]涨(漲)潮 (zhǎngcháo)
[of thought, speech]流畅(暢) (liúchàng)
1 (verb)
Definition
the advancing of the tide
A stream flowed down into the valley.
Synonyms
run
cisterns to catch rainwater as it ran off the walls
course
The tears coursed down his cheeks.
rush
Water rushes out of huge tunnels.
sweep
move
issue
pass
I passed through the doorway to ward B.
roll
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
flood
pour
slide
proceed
stream
run out
surge
The crowd surged out from the church.
spill
It doesn't matter if red wine spills on this floor.
go along
circulate
swirl
glide
ripple
cascade
A waterfall cascades down the cliff from the hills.
whirl
overflow
gush
Piping hot water gushed out of the tap.
inundate
deluge
spurt
I saw flames spurt from the roof.
teem
spew
squirt
a splat of cream that squirts from a plastic container
purl
well forth
2 (verb)
Definition
to move steadily and smoothly
Large numbers of refugees continue to flow into the country.
Synonyms
pour
Blood was pouring from his broken nose.
move
sweep
A flu epidemic is sweeping the city.
flood
Enquiries flooded in from all over the world.
stream
Tears streamed down their faces.
overflow
The river has overflowed its banks in several places.
3 (verb)
Definition
to be produced effortlessly
Undesirable consequences flow from these misconceptions.
Synonyms
issue
A tinny voice issued from a speaker.
follow
If the explanation is right, two things will follow.
result
Many hair problems result from what you eat.
emerge
He was waiting outside as she emerged from the building.
spring
The art springs from the country's Muslim heritage.
pour
proceed
Does Othello's downfall proceed from a flaw in his character?
arise
if a problem arises later in pregnancy
derive
ensue
A brief but violent scuffle ensued.
emanate
The aroma of burning wood emanated from the stove.
1 (noun)
Definition
the act, rate, or manner of flowing
watching the quiet flow of the olive-green water
Synonyms
stream
a continuous stream of lava
current
The swimmers were swept away by the strong current.
movement
the movement towards democracy
motion
the laws governing light, sound and motion
course
a series of naval battles which altered the course of history
issue
flood
He received a flood of complaints.
drift
their fears at what they see as a drift towards economic chaos
tide
They used to sail with the tide.
spate
an incomprehensible spate of words
gush
I heard a gush of water.
flux
the flux of cosmic rays
outpouring
outflow
undertow
tideway
2 (noun)
Definition
a continuous stream or discharge
the opportunity to control the flow of information
Synonyms
outpouring
flood
Each year brings a flood of new university graduates.
stream
a never-ending stream of jokes
succession
He took a succession of jobs which have stood him in good stead.
train
plenty
abundance
a staggering abundance of food
deluge
plethora
outflow
an increasing outflow of refugees from the country
effusion
an effusion of blood
emanation
the emanation of the created order from God
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abundance
Definition
a great amount
a staggering abundance of food
Synonyms
plenty,
heap (informal),
bounty,
exuberance,
profusion,
plethora,
affluence,
fullness,
opulence,
plenitude,
fruitfulness,
copiousness,
ampleness,
cornucopia,
plenteousness,
plentifulness
in the sense of arise
Definition
to come into notice
if a problem arises later in pregnancy
Synonyms
happen,
start,
begin,
follow,
issue,
result,
appear,
develop,
emerge,
occur,
spring,
set in,
stem,
originate,
ensue,
come about,
commence,
come to light,
emanate,
crop up (informal),
come into being,
materialize
in the sense of cascade
Definition
to flow or fall in a cascade
A waterfall cascades down the cliff from the hills.
Synonyms
flow,
fall,
flood,
pour,
plunge,
surge,
spill,
tumble,
descend,
overflow,
gush,
teem,
pitch
Synonyms of 'flow'
flow
Explore 'flow' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of succession
Definition
a number of people or things following one another in order
He took a succession of jobs which have stood him in good stead.