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Entry 16 senses · 4 variants Webster, 1913

Flow

/(flō)/ · IPA /floʊ/
01 imp. sing. imp. sing. of Fly, v. i.
  1. 1.
    imp. sing. of Fly, v. i.obs. See: Fly
02 v. i. To move with a continual change of place among the particles or parts, as a fluid; to change place or circulate, as a liquid; as, rivers fl…
imp. & p. p. Flowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Flowing
  1. 1.
    To move with a continual change of place among the particles or parts, as a fluid; to change place or circulate, as a liquid; as, rivers flow from springs and lakes; tears flow from the eyes.
  2. 2.
    To become liquid; to melt.
    “The mountains flowed down at thy presence.” — Is. lxiv. 3.
  3. 3.
    To proceed; to issue forth; as, wealth flows from industry and economy.
    “Those thousand decencies that daily flow From all her words and actions.” — Milton.
  4. 4.
    To glide along smoothly, without harshness or asperties; as, a flowing period; flowing numbers; to sound smoothly to the ear; to be uttered easily.
    “Virgil is sweet and flowingin his hexameters.” — Dryden.
  5. 5.
    To have or be in abundance; to abound; to full, so as to run or flow over; to be copious.
    “In that day . . . the hills shall flow with milk.” — Joel iii. 18.
    “The exhilaration of a night that needed not the influence of the flowing bowl.” — Prof. Wilson.
  6. 6.
    To hang loose and waving; as, a flowing mantle; flowing locks.
    “The imperial purple flowing in his train.” — A. Hamilton.
  7. 7.
    To rise, as the tide; -- opposed to ebb; as, the tide flows twice in twenty-four hours.
    “The river hath thrice flowed, no ebb between.” — Shak.
  8. 8.
    To discharge blood in excess from the uterus.
03 v. t. To cover with water or other liquid; to overflow; to inundate; to flood.
  1. 1.
    To cover with water or other liquid; to overflow; to inundate; to flood.
  2. 2.
    To cover with varnish.
04 n. A stream of water or other fluid; a current; as, a flow of water; a flow of blood.
  1. 1.
    A stream of water or other fluid; a current; as, a flow of water; a flow of blood.
  2. 2.
    A continuous movement of something abundant; as, a flow of words.
  3. 3.
    Any gentle, gradual movement or procedure of thought, diction, music, or the like, resembling the quiet, steady movement of a river; a stream.
    “The feast of reason and the flow of soul.” — Pope.
  4. 4.
    The tidal setting in of the water from the ocean to the shore. See Ebb and flow, under Ebb. See: Ebb
  5. 5.
    A low-lying piece of watery land; -- called also flow moss and flow bog.[Scot.] Also: flow moss, flow bog