I. ˈstrēm noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English strem, streme, from Old English strēam; akin to Old High German stroum, strōm stream, Old Norse straumr stream, Old Irish sruaimm river, Old Slavic struja flow, Greek rhysis flow, rhein to flow, Sanskrit sravati it flows, sarati it runs, flows — more at serum
1.
a. : a body of running water flowing in a channel on the surface of the ground, in a cavern below the surface, or beneath or in a glacier
cross the river … not far from where General Washington forded the stream — Gladys Taber
— compare creek , river ; see current table
b. : brook , rivulet
2.
a. : a steady succession (as of words or events)
let loose a stream of commentary and discussion — R.W.Southern
life presents a perpetual stream of problems — W.J.Reilly
b. : a constantly renewed supply
the balanced budget … injects as much into the income stream as it takes away — J.G.Gurley
a steady stream of material flowed into the Smithsonian from … all over the world — D.S. & Jessie Jordan
c. : a continuous procession moving in one direction
sent a stream of miners pouring … west — R.A.Billington
a stream of Sunday traffic
goats followed him — a long stream that pattered on small sharp hoofs behind him — Stuart Cloete
3.
a. : an outpouring of a fluid from a source or container
a stream of water … from a fire nozzle — W.Y.Kimball
pour a sticky stream of syrup from a pitcher
a reaction stream can be switched from one line to the other — Chem. & Engineering News
b. : an effusion of a bodily fluid
streams of sweat pour down his back
c. : an unbroken flow (as of gas or particles of matter)
moisture was kept at a high level by a deep stream of persistent northerly winds — Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
an electric current is a stream of … electrons — Leonard Engel
d.
(1) : a valley glacier
ice streams coalesced to form a piedmont glacier — Journal of Geology
(2) : a lava flow especially long and narrow
dated lava streams — W.J.Miller
(3) : sand grains moving or having moved downwind in a fairly continuous mass
the dune advances … down the sand stream — Geographical Journal
— compare rock stream
4.
a. : a streak of light
the ashen stream of daybreak — Ellen Glasgow
b. obsolete : the tail of a comet
saw another comet … but the stream not so long as the former — John Evelyn
5.
a. : a relatively narrow well-defined and usually swift oceanic current
the Gulf stream
b. : the center of a body of running water where the current is swiftest
anchored out in the stream and came ashore in a launch
c. : the propulsive current of running water
floating straight, obedient to the stream — Shakespeare
row against the stream
d. : a prevailing attitude or group
in full accord with the main stream of British policy — New Statesman & Nation
e. : a dominant influence or line of development
the two streams of heredity … that shaped his life — C.A.Dinsmore
academicians, men out of the main creative stream of their time — Donald Mintz
eddies in the great stream of baroque music — P.H.Lang
6. streams plural , archaic : flowing waters
a river … pours its streams through a narrow vale — Sir Walter Scott
Synonyms: see flow
•
- on stream
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English stremen, from strem, streme stream
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to flow in or as if in a stream
a river streams to the sea
firelight and dance music stream out from its windows — Douglas Stewart
a cooler wind was beginning to stream through the … palms — Jean Boley
capes and headlands … streaming away into the west — H.H.Finlayson
wealth streaming through his fingers — Joseph Conrad
b. : to emit a beam of light : leave a bright trail
a falling star streamed down the blue vault — O.S.J.Gogarty
2.
a. : to exude a bodily fluid in profuse amounts
holding his pocket handkerchief before his streaming eyes — Lewis Carroll
b. : to become saturated with a discharge of bodily fluid
streaming with perspiration under the hot klieg lights
3. : to become fully extended by or as if by a current : trail out at full length
kelps, anchored to rocks while streaming out in the water — R.E.Coker
outthrust neck and streaming legs are characteristic of its flight — National Geographic
the boy, with hair streaming back, was rushing helter-skelter down the hill — John Galsworthy
4. : to pour in large numbers in one direction
passengers … streamed ashore on seven of the eight gangways — Vernon Pizer
rooks went streaming across the windy sky — Mary Webb
innumerable requests and invitations … stream in — Robert Bendiner
transitive verb
1. : to emit or cause to flow : exude
his eyes streamed tears
2. : to wave or display fully extended
its radiator grille streaming a flag — Kathryn Grondahl
3. : to put into the water : allow (a tow) to run out to full length
stream an anchor buoy
stream a paravane
stream a grass line so that the other ship can grapple it and pick it up — Manual of Seamanship
4. : to subject to the action of water as a means of exposing ore : wash
slaves were streaming the gravel for tin ore — Charles Kingsley
Synonyms: see pour
III. noun
Britain : track I,3c