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Flow Very Common

Flow has 17 different meanings across 2 categories:

Noun · Verb

Definitions
Noun
1

the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)

"The river's current changed direction as the heavy rain caused the water to flow rapidly around the boulders."

2

the amount of fluid that flows in a given time

"The plumber adjusted the valve to increase the water flow so we could fill the bathtub faster."

3

the act of flowing or streaming; continuous progression

"The traffic began to flow smoothly once the accident was cleared from the highway."

4

any uninterrupted stream or discharge

"The old pipe was leaking a steady flow of water onto the kitchen floor."

5

something that resembles a flowing stream in moving continuously

"a stream of people emptied from the terminal"

"the museum had planned carefully for the flow of visitors"

6

dominant course (suggestive of running water) of successive events or ideas

"two streams of development run through American history"

"stream of consciousness"

"the flow of thought"

"the current of history"

7

the monthly discharge of blood from the uterus of nonpregnant women from puberty to menopause

"the women were sickly and subject to excessive menstruation"

"a woman does not take the gout unless her menses be stopped"

"the semen begins to appear in males and to be emitted at the same time of life that the catamenia begin to flow in females"

8

A movement in people or things with a particular way in large numbers or amounts

"The cattle got stuck deep in the flow after the heavy rains turned the field into a swamp."

9

A morass or marsh.

In plain English: Flow is when you are so focused on doing something that you lose track of time and don't feel tired.

"The flow of traffic was heavy during the evening rush hour."

Usage: Do not use "flow" to mean a morass or marsh, as that is an archaic definition no longer common in modern English. Instead, use it as a noun to describe the continuous movement of a liquid, gas, or people through a space.

Verb
1

move or progress freely as if in a stream

"The crowd flowed out of the stadium"

2

move along, of liquids

"Water flowed into the cave"

"the Missouri feeds into the Mississippi"

3

cause to flow

"The artist flowed the washes on the paper"

4

be abundantly present

"The champagne flowed at the wedding"

5

fall or flow in a certain way

"This dress hangs well"

"Her long black hair flowed down her back"

6

cover or swamp with water

"After days of heavy rain, the river swelled and began to flow over its banks, submerging the nearby fields."

7

undergo menstruation

"She started menstruating at the age of 11"

8

To move as a fluid from one position to another.

"The river's water flowed rapidly over the smooth rocks toward the ocean."

In plain English: To flow means to move smoothly and continuously without stopping or getting stuck.

"The river flows gently through the valley."

Usage: Use flow as a verb to describe liquids or gases moving smoothly and continuously in a stream, such as water flowing down a river. It can also apply metaphorically to any process that proceeds without interruption or obstruction.

Example Sentences
"The flow of traffic was heavy during the evening rush hour." noun
"The traffic flow was smooth during the morning commute." noun
"She adjusted the water flow to get just the right temperature for her bath." noun
"There is a constant flow of visitors coming through the museum doors every day." noun
"The river flows gently through the valley." verb
Related Terms
current movement water river motion water movement ebb river movement action ebb and liquid rivers moving sanguifluous unflown dulcifluous legg calvé perthes disease flows trickle in swim
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
change of location rate motion natural process course discharge move exist flood shed blood
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
fountain ebb backflow airflow current freshet overflow dripping discharge flux seepage drip emission flush rush cardiac output spill flood slipstream turbulent flow streamline flow filling flowage inflow outflow menorrhagia oligomenorrhea ripple transpire jet tide circulate eddy waste run down pour stream trickle drain seep gutter lave

Origin

The word "flow" comes from Middle English and originally meant to move or pass along. Its modern psychological sense, describing a state of intense focus, was coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1975.

Rhyming Words
low alow glow slow blow plow ablow bulow below allow aglow volow coflow kozlow hollow billow beblow yellow upflow replow
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