stream

1 of 2

noun

1
: a body of running water (such as a river or creek) flowing on the earth
also : any body of flowing fluid (such as water or gas)
2
a
: a steady succession (as of words or events)
kept up an endless stream of chatter
b
: a constantly renewed or steady supply
a stream of revenue
c
: a continuous moving procession
a stream of traffic
d
: digital data (such as audio or video material) that is continuously delivered one packet at a time and is usually intended for immediate processing or playback
Having proved their popularity with American couch potatoes, digital video recorders (DVRs) are about to get a boost in features that will allow them to zap several video streams throughout networked homes.Ed Frauenheim
3
: an unbroken flow (as of gas or particles of matter)
4
: a ray of light
5
a
: a prevailing attitude or group
has always run against the stream of current fashion
b
: a dominant influence or line of development
the influence of two streams of inheritance: genetic and culturalP. B. Baltes
6
British : track sense 5c

stream

2 of 2

verb

streamed; streaming; streams

intransitive verb

1
a
: to flow in or as if in a stream
b
: to leave a bright trail
a meteor streamed through the sky
2
a
: to exude a bodily fluid profusely
her eyes were streaming
b
: to become wet with a discharge of bodily fluid
streaming with perspiration
3
: to trail out at full length
her hair streaming back as she ran
4
: to pour in large numbers
complaints came streaming in

transitive verb

1
: to emit freely or in a stream
his eyes streamed tears
2
: to display (something, such as a flag) by waving
3
: to transfer (digital data, such as audio or video material) in a continuous stream especially for immediate processing or playback: such as
a
: to watch (a video) on a streaming service
… passed the time watching the same shows as he would have streamed at home.Greg Egan
b
: to broadcast (a video) for others to watch on a stream
I went live, but there was no one in my room. Just me. Streaming myself live. Shirtless. To no one.Will Dennis

Examples of stream in a Sentence

Noun A stream flows through the field. Verb Tears streamed down his cheeks. I could feel the cold air streaming in through the crack in the window. Sunlight was streaming in through the window. rays of light streaming through the clouds His face streamed with sweat. People streamed into the hall. Immigrants streamed into the country. Hundreds of letters streamed in from listeners.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Coastal marshes were hemmed in by development, and barriers and dams fragmented streams. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024 The Jinx: Part Two premieres April 21 on HBO and streams on Max. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024 Leaders will look for $18 million in new revenue streams, coming from program expansions and the University of Arizona Global Campus — UA's controversial online school. The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024 During the past few years, Abruzzo has issued a stream of memos to the agency’s field offices and to regional directors designed to hold companies that engage in unfair labor practices accountable. Eyal Press, The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2024 Get: Sling Orange & Blue + Sports Extra All Sling packages include live TV over the internet, on-demand movie and TV titles, 50 hours of cloud DVR storage and up to three streams across devices at once. Rudie Obias, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024 That will likely mean a steady stream of orders for ASML’s equipment, which is essential to manufacture the advanced AI chips the Biden administration is so keen on onshoring. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024 Echo Canyon Loop: This route uses the Echo Canyon, Hailstone and Ed Riggs trails for a moderate 3.3-mile journey through spectacular rock formations into a lush cove punctuated by a stuttering little stream that flows seasonally. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024 There are just so many overlapping generations that there appears to be a steady stream of these cicadas every year. Kate Golembiewski, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Verb
The latter has been streamed over 340 million times on Spotify, helping define her as a pop star to watch. Thania Garcia, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024 All three episodes of Orlando Bloom: To The Edge will be streaming on Peacock on Thursday, April 18. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024 Where to see it: Available to stream or rent on numerous platforms. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024 All Strike Force games stream live on the IFL’s YouTube channel. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2024 Yet with the discovery of mineral wealth, more settlers streamed into the territory, leading to continued clashes. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024 Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers can also stream the series live and on demand. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 11 Apr. 2024 The new episodes will be available to stream on Peacock the next day. USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024 Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online. Don Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stream.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English streme, from Old English strēam; akin to Old High German stroum stream, Greek rhein to flow

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stream was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near stream

Cite this Entry

“Stream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stream. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

stream

1 of 2 noun
1
: a body of running water (as a river or brook) flowing on the earth
also : any body of flowing fluid (as water or gas)
2
: a steady flow
a stream of words
3
: a ray of light

stream

2 of 2 verb
1
: to flow or cause to flow in or as if in a stream
2
a
: to give off a bodily fluid in large amounts
her eyes were streaming
b
: to become wet with a discharge of bodily fluid
streaming with perspiration
3
: to trail out at full length
hair streaming in the wind
4
: to pour in large numbers
complaints came streaming in
5
: to transfer (digital data, such as audio or video material) in a continuous stream especially for immediate processing or playback

Medical Definition

stream

noun
: an unbroken current or flow (as of water, a bodily fluid, or a gas) see bloodstream, midstream

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