n. & v.
--n.
1. a flowing body of water, esp. a small river.
2 a the flow of a fluid or of a mass of people (a stream of lava). b (in sing. or pl.) a large quantity of something that flows or moves along.
3 a current or direction in which things are moving or tending (against the stream).
4 Brit. a group of schoolchildren taught together as being of similar ability for a given age.
--v.
1. intr. flow or move as a stream.
2 intr. run with liquid (my eyes were streaming).
3 intr. (of a banner or hair etc.) float or wave in the wind.
4 tr. emit a stream of (blood etc.).
5 tr. Brit. arrange (schoolchildren) in streams.
Phrases and idioms:
go with the stream do as others do. on stream (of a factory etc.) in operation. stream-anchor an anchor intermediate in size between a bower and a kedge, esp. for use in warping. stream of consciousness
1. Psychol. a person's thoughts and conscious reactions to events perceived as a continuous flow.
2 a literary style depicting events in such a flow in the mind of a character.
Derivatives:
streamless adj. streamlet n.
Etymology: OE stream f. Gmc