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
Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 17 Mar. 2024 On March 3, the Voyager mission team noticed that activity from one section of the flight data subsystem, was different from the rest of the computer's unreadable data stream. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 Koi’s Garden The action on this dial involves a pair of three-dimensional carp fish swimming in a stream surrounded by colorful pebbles. Carol Besler, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024 Taken together, the models revealed an entire social history, a stream of new opportunities and unmet needs. Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2024 Roberts' full sit-down with Lewis streams tonight at 8:30 p.m. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024 According to Steve's website, the show has over 1.5 million views and streams. Emily Blackwood, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 During a research trip in Peru, the scientists observed cicadas in trees squirting out urine in a high-speed stream. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 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
Verb
New episodes of Shōgun release weekly on Tuesdays and are available to stream on Hulu and Disney+. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2024 The first three episodes of Palm Royale begin streaming March 20 on Apple TV+, with additional episodes releasing weekly. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2024 Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution' The ABC special will be available to stream on Hulu starting Tuesday. Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024 King's younger sister Reina King also worked as a producer on the movie, which begins streaming on Netflix Friday. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 17 Mar. 2024 Nine matches can be streamed on NWSL-plus, the league’s free streaming service. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 While players from the bench streamed past her toward the scrum, Reese turned and limped in the other direction. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2024 The series’ four seasons are currently available to stream on Hulu. Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 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 28 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

More from Merriam-Webster on stream

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