flow
//ˈfləʊ̯//
Forms
- Plural
- flows
- present (v1)
- flow
- past (v2)
- flowed
- past participle (v3)
- flowed
- present participle
- flowing
- 3rd person singular
- flows
Definitions
1.Movement in people or things characterized with a continuous motion, involving either a non solid mass or a multitude.
2.The movement of a real or figurative fluid.
3.A formalization of the idea of the motion of particles in a fluid, as a group action of the real numbers on a set.
- The notion of flow is basic to the study of ordinary differential equations.
4.The rising movement of the tide.
1.To move as a fluid from one position to another.
- Rivers flow from springs and lakes.
- Wrex: I need to get my blood flowing. Find me something to kill!
- Tears flow from the eyes.
2.To proceed; to issue forth; to emanate.
- Wealth flows from industry and economy.
3.To move or match smoothly, gracefully, or continuously.
- The writing is grammatically correct, but it just doesn't flow.
4.To have or be in abundance; to abound, so as to run or flow over.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #2214
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Word family
Etymology
From Middle English flowe, from the verb (see below).
The psychology sense “state of focus” was coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1975.