FLOOD


Meaning of FLOOD in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ flʌd ]

( floods, flooding, flooded)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.

If there is a flood , a large amount of water covers an area which is usually dry, for example when a river flows over its banks or a pipe bursts.

More than 70 people were killed in the floods, caused when a dam burst...

This is the type of flood dreaded by cavers...

Over 25 people drowned when a schoolbus tried to cross a river and flood waters swept through.

N-VAR

2.

If something such as a river or a burst pipe floods an area that is usually dry or if the area floods , it becomes covered with water.

The Chicago River flooded the city’s underground tunnel system...

The kitchen flooded.

VERB : V n , V

• flood‧ed

People have been mobilised to build defences and drain flooded land as heavy rains continue to fall.

ADJ

3.

If a river floods , it overflows, especially after very heavy rain.

...the relentless rain that caused twenty rivers to flood...

Many streams have flooded their banks, making some roads impassable.

= overflow

VERB : V , V n

4.

If you say that a flood of people or things arrive somewhere, you are emphasizing that a very large number of them arrive there.

The administration is trying to stem the flood of refugees out of Haiti and into Florida...

He received a flood of letters from irate constituents.

= tide, torrent

N-COUNT : usu N of n [ emphasis ]

5.

If you say that people or things flood into a place, you are emphasizing that they arrive there in large numbers.

Enquiries flooded in from all over the world.

...the refugees flooding out of Kosovo.

= pour

VERB : V prep / adv , V prep / adv [ emphasis ]

6.

If you flood a place with a particular type of thing, or if a particular type of thing floods a place, the place becomes full of so many of them that it cannot hold or deal with any more.

...a policy aimed at flooding Europe with exports...

German cameras at knock-down prices flooded the British market.

= saturate

VERB : V n with n , V n

• flood‧ed

...the danger of Europe becoming flooded with low-cost agricultural imports.

ADJ

7.

If an emotion, feeling, or thought floods you, you suddenly feel it very intensely. If feelings or memories flood back , you suddenly remember them very clearly. ( LITERARY )

A wave of happiness flooded me...

Mary Ann was flooded with relief ...

It was probably the shock which had brought all the memories flooding back.

VERB : V n , be V-ed with n , V adv

8.

If light floods a place or floods into it, it suddenly fills it.

The afternoon light flooded the little rooms...

Morning sunshine flooded in through the open curtains.

VERB : V n , V prep / adv

9.

see also flash flood

10.

If you say that someone was in floods of tears or in a flood of tears , you are emphasizing that they were crying with great intensity because they were very upset.

They said goodbye in a flood of tears.

PHRASE : flood inflects , usu in PHR [ emphasis ]

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Английский словарь Коллинз COBUILD для изучающих язык на продвинутом уровне.