stream

noun

/striːm/

Idioms

jump to other results

enlarge image

a small, narrow river
- a mountain stream
- We waded across a shallow stream.
- Our rivers and streams are polluted with a host of chemicals.
see also downstream, upstream
Extra Examples
- The stream flows through a narrow valley.
- There are small fish in the stream.
- We picnicked beside a bubbling stream.
- a leaf floating on the stream
- Many underground streams flow beneath the forest.
- We waded across a little mountain stream.
Topics Geographyb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- little
- small
- shallow
- …
verb + stream
- cross
- ford
- pollute
- …
stream + verb
- flow
- run
- trickle
- …
stream + noun
- bed
preposition
- across a/the stream
- down a/the stream
- up a/the stream
- …
phrases
- the edge of the stream
- the side of the stream
See full entry
a continuous flow of liquid or gas
- a jet stream
- stream of something A stream of blood flowed from the wound.
- He blew out a stream of cigar smoke.
see also bloodstream, Gulf Stream, jet stream
Extra Examples
- Giant turbines blast a stream of air into the tube.
- The stream of hot water hit the bottom of the bath.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- thin
- air
- gas
- …
verb + stream
- emit
- let in
stream + verb
- flow
preposition
- stream of
See full entry
a continuous flow of people or vehicles
- stream of something/somebody I've had a steady stream of visitors.
- a continuous stream of people/traffic
- in a stream Cars filed past in an endless stream.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- constant
- continuous
- endless
- …
verb + stream
- generate
- send
- let loose
- …
preposition
- stream of
phrases
- stream of consciousness
See full entry
a continuous supply of something; a large number of things that happen one after the other
- By licensing their works, artists can create an ongoing revenue stream.
- The building needs to produce an income stream for the company.
- stream of something The agency provided me with a steady stream of work.
- a constant stream of enquiries
- Most of the letter consisted of a stream of abuse.
see also revenue stream
Extra Examples
- He let loose a stream of insults and obscenities.
- She had to deal with a constant stream of enquiries.
- She was able to play streams of difficult notes with extreme accuracy.
- There were endless streams of mail which could not all be read.
- a constant stream of letters
- The computer generates a steady stream of emails.
- He let loose a stream of abuse.
- We have established several different streams of funding.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- constant
- continuous
- endless
- …
verb + stream
- generate
- send
- let loose
- …
preposition
- stream of
phrases
- stream of consciousness
See full entry
(computing) a continuous flow of video or sound sent over the internet; a continuous flow of computer data or instructions
- You can listen to the live audio stream.
(especially British English) a group of students of the same age and level of ability in some schools
- She was put into the fast stream.
Extra Examples
- Children who find themselves in the bottom stream feel discouraged.
- He was put into the top stream.
Topics Educationc2

Word OriginOld English strēam (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stroom, German Strom, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek rhein ‘to flow’.

Idioms

be/come on stream

to be in operation or available
- The new computer system comes on stream next month.

stream

verb

/striːm/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they stream	/striːm/ /striːm/
he / she / it streams	/striːmz/ /striːmz/
past simple streamed	/striːmd/ /striːmd/
past participle streamed	/striːmd/ /striːmd/
-ing form streaming	/ˈstriːmɪŋ/ /ˈstriːmɪŋ/

jump to other results

[intransitive, transitive] (of liquid or gas) to move or pour out in a continuous flow; to produce a continuous flow of liquid or gas
- (+ adv./prep.) Tears streamed down his face.
- a streaming cold (= with a lot of liquid coming from the nose)
- Stay away—I've got a streaming cold.
- Sunlight streamed through the windows.
- stream with something Her head was streaming with blood.
- stream from something Blood was streaming from her head.
- Black smoke streamed from the exhaust.
- stream something The exhaust streamed black smoke.
[intransitive] + adv./prep. (of people or things) to move somewhere in large numbers, one after the other
- People streamed across the bridge.
- The refugees streamed north to the border.
- He stared out of the window at the cars streaming along the street.
[intransitive] + adv./prep. to move freely, especially in the wind or water
- Her scarf streamed behind her.
- She was walking by the sea, her fair hair streaming.
(especially British English)
(North American English usually track)
[transitive, usually passive] (in schools) to put school students into groups according to their ability
- be streamed (for something) Pupils are streamed for French and maths.
[transitive] stream something (computing) to play video or sound on a computer by receiving it as a continuous stream, from the internet for example, rather than needing to wait until the whole of the material has been downloaded
- You can stream the song for a single listen.
- The programme was streamed on the Web 24 hours a day.
Topics Musicc1

Word OriginOld English strēam (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stroom, German Strom, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek rhein ‘to flow’.