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
Now, after years of inactivity making movies, and a steady stream of executive departures, much of the entertainment industry has written off Annapurna as a meaningful player. Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 As a result, healthcare professionals are fielding a steady stream of questions from patients who are curious about what magnesium can do for them. Adam Markovitz, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 But a public call for help brought in a stream of customers. Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 Angling in the 2,900 miles of streams within the park boundaries is a popular activity year-round. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2024 In the snap, the two appeared to be on a hike and were dressed casually with a stream and greenery behind them. Effie Orfanides, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Under the terms of the agreement, ITV Studios will continue to receive an ongoing revenue stream from BritBox International similar to current levels for the use of ITV content under new extended licensing agreements. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Mar. 2024 Only this was no trickling stream, but a gusher that would cost him more than $1,000. Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 Data-as-a-Service (DaaS): Offering datasets on a subscription basis to AI developers and researchers can provide a steady revenue stream while maintaining control over data usage. Sunil Rajaraman, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
Verb
The series’ four seasons are currently available to stream on Hulu. Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 The awards show can also be streamed live on services including Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and FuboTV. Olivia Munson, The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 The streaming giant announced the boxing match on Thursday, saying the match will take place Saturday, July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 In court records, federal investigators have used and cited open source video from the Capitol — much of it recorded and streamed live by people who took part in the incident — to find and identify those who participated. Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Younger audiences have grown more accustomed to streaming portions of games as well as clips and highlights. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Fans can also stream the headliners’ sets on Friday and Sunday online. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 The series finale of Young Sheldon airs on Thursday, May 16 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and will be available to stream on Paramount+. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2024 The State of the Union address will be streamed on the USA TODAY YouTube channel and through the USA TODAY channel on your smart television. James Powel, USA TODAY, 6 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 18 Mar. 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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