“flows” is a form of
flow
UK /ˈfləʊ̯/ · US /ˈfloʊ̯/ noun, verb
Forms flows flowing flowed
- noun Movement in people or things characterized with a continuous motion, involving either a non solid mass or a multitude.
- noun The movement of a real or figurative fluid.
- noun (mathematics) 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.”
- noun The rising movement of the tide.
- noun Smoothness or continuity. “The room was small, but it had good symmetry and flow.”
- noun The amount of a fluid that moves or the rate of fluid movement. “Turn on the valve and make sure you have sufficient flow.”
- noun A flow pipe, carrying liquid away from a boiler or other central plant (compare with return pipe which returns fluid to central plant).
- noun (psychology) A mental state characterized by concentration, focus, and enjoyment of a given task.
- verb (intransitive) To move as a fluid from one position to another. “Rivers flow from springs and lakes.”
- verb (intransitive) To proceed; to issue forth; to emanate. “Wealth flows from industry and economy.”
- verb (intransitive) To move or match smoothly, gracefully, or continuously. “The writing is grammatically correct, but it just doesn't flow.”
- verb (intransitive) To have or be in abundance; to abound, so as to run or flow over.
- verb (intransitive) To hang loosely and wave.
- verb (intransitive) To rise, as the tide; opposed to ebb. “The tide flows twice in twenty-four hours.”
- verb (transitive, computing) To arrange (text in a wordprocessor, etc.) so that it wraps neatly into a designated space; to reflow.
- verb (transitive) To allow (a liquid) to flow.
- noun (Scotland) A bog or mire, especially a rough, waterlogged one.
Synonyms
come in come up course flit flux fly fountain glide gush leak run rush slide slip spew spout stream trickle flowing flow rate rate of flow current menstruation menses menstruum catamenia period feed hang fall
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English flowe, from the verb (see below). The psychology sense “state of focus” was coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1975.
From Middle English flowen, from Old English flōwan (“to flow”), from Proto-West Germanic *flōan, from Proto-Germanic *flōaną (“to flow”), from Proto-Indo-European *plōw-, lengthened o-grade form of *plew- (“to fly, flow, run”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian flouje (“to flow”), West Frisian floeie (“to flow”), Dutch vloeien (“to flow”), Norwegian flo (“to flow”). Compare also English float. Not cognate with Latin fluō despite similarity.
Uncertain. Perhaps from Old Norse flói (“a large bay, firth”), see floe. Compare Scots flow (“peat-bog, marsh”), Icelandic flói (“marshy ground”).
Webster’s 1913
- imp. sing. of Fly, v. i. Chaucer.
- verb 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.
- verb To become liquid; to melt.
- verb To cover with water or other liquid; to overflow; to inundate; to flood.
Etymology [AS. flowan; akin to D. vloeijen, OHG. flawen to wash, Icel. floa to deluge, Gr. float, fleet. *80. Cf. Flood.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “flow”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details