flows

IPA/fləʊ/
KK[flˈoz]IPA/floʊ/

flows — noun

  • flowssingular
  • flowsesplural

1. the steady, continuous movement of a liquid, gas, or electric current from one p

1.nounB1
Definition

the steady, continuous movement of a liquid, gas, or electric current from one place to another

Example

The flow of water from the broken pipe flooded the kitchen floor.

flow of water + from

Anong watched the flow of cars across the bridge during rush hour.

flow of cars (metaphorical extension to traffic)

Common collocations
  • flow of water
  • flow of blood
  • flow of air
  • steady flow
  • constant flow
  • lava flow
  • river flow
Synonyms
  • current

    more often used for air or electricity than for visible liquids

  • stream

    suggests a narrower, more directed movement than flow

  • movement

    more general; does not imply continuity or smoothness

Common Mistakes

The river had a strong flood after the rain.
The river had a strong flow after the rain.
'flow' means steady movement; 'flood' means water overflowing onto land and causing damage.

2. large numbers of people or things arriving somewhere steadily over a period of t

2.nounB2
Definition

large numbers of people or things arriving somewhere steadily over a period of time

Example

The steady flow of donations helped the charity rebuild the local school.

flow of donations

João managed the flow of customers at the busy weekend market stall.

flow of customers

Common collocations
  • flow of information
  • flow of donations
  • flow of immigrants
  • flow of customers
  • steady flow
  • constant flow
Synonyms
  • influx

    emphasises a sudden, large arrival all at once

  • stream

    suggests a continuous line, but with less emphasis on volume

  • flood

    more dramatic; implies an overwhelming amount, often negative

Antonyms
  • trickle

    a very small, slow flow of people or things

Usage Note

Distinguish from noun sense 1 (SMOOTH MOVEMENT): sense 2 is about quantity — many things arriving — not the physical movement of one substance.

3. an uninterrupted supply of goods, power, or information being delivered from one

3.nounB2
Definition

an uninterrupted supply of goods, power, or information being delivered from one point to another

Example

The factory needed a reliable flow of raw materials to meet its deadline.

flow of raw materials

Gabriel kept a steady flow of tasks coming so nobody on the team was idle.

flow of tasks

Common collocations
  • flow of electricity
  • flow of materials
  • work flow
  • production flow
  • information flow
Synonyms
  • supply

    focuses on what is provided, not the continuity of the process

  • stream

    similar but less often used for abstract things like information or work

Usage Note

Distinguish from noun sense 2 (STEADY ARRIVAL): sense 3 is about the pipeline or process itself staying unbroken, not the volume of things arriving.

4. a mental state in which a person is so deeply absorbed in an activity that they

4.nounC1
Definition

a mental state in which a person is so deeply absorbed in an activity that they perform it effortlessly and stop noticing the passage of time

Example

Rania was in a state of flow while painting and lost all track of time.

in a state of flow

The basketball player said he was in the flow during the final quarter.

in the flow

Common collocations
  • in the flow
  • state of flow
  • find your flow
  • enter a flow
  • deep flow
Synonyms
  • zone

    informal; 'in the zone' is the everyday equivalent of 'in the flow'

  • concentration

    more general; does not imply the effortless, enjoyable quality of flow

Usage Note

Always used with a preposition: 'in a flow', 'in the flow', 'into a flow'. The phrase 'flow state' is the more formal psychological term.

Common Mistakes

I had good flow at work today.
I was in the flow at work today.
this sense of 'flow' is always used with 'in' or 'into' to describe the state you are in.

5. long hair on a man, worn loose so that it hangs freely around the shoulders, esp

5.nounC1
Definition

long hair on a man, worn loose so that it hangs freely around the shoulders, especially on athletes

Example

The football player's flow reached past his shoulders when he took off his helmet.

flow = long hair (informal)

David grew out his flow for two years and tied it back before matches.

Synonyms
  • mane

    also informal but can be used for both men and women

  • locks

    poetic or literary term for hair, not specific to men or athletes

Usage Note

Informal, originally from American sports culture. Almost always used about men. The more neutral term is 'long hair'.

Common Mistakes

She has beautiful flow.
She has beautiful flowing hair.
'flow' as a noun for hair is almost always used about men; for women, use 'flowing hair' instead.

flows — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Flow, run, pour, and stream all describe steady movement, but they carry different shades of meaning. Flow is the broadest: it describes smooth, continuous movement and works for liquids, gases, electricity, and even abstract things like traffic. Run is more matter-of-fact — water runs from a tap, a river runs through a valley — but it lacks flow's sense of effortless grace. Pour implies speed and weight: rain pours, someone pours wine; the movement is heavier and often downward. Stream suggests a narrow, directed path: sunlight streams through a window, people stream into a stadium. So you would say 'tears flowed down her face' (smooth, gentle) but 'sweat poured down his back' (heavy, fast), and 'fans streamed out of the arena' (in a narrow, steady line).

flow ↗run ↗pour ↗stream ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • flow of water
  • flow of information
  • flow of traffic
  • flow of electricity
  • flow of ideas

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Flow comes from Old English 'flōwan' (to flow, stream, issue), which traces back to the Proto-Germanic root '*flōaną' and further to the Proto-Indo-European '*plew-' meaning 'to run, flow, or swim'. This ancient root also gave English words like 'flood' (a great flow of water), 'float' (to rest on a flowing surface), 'fleet' (originally a group of floating ships), and even 'pluvial' (relating to rain). The psychological sense of 'flow' as a state of deep focus was coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the 1970s, who chose the word because people in this state described the experience as being carried along effortlessly, like a current of water.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a(1) Noun