STREAM, n.

1. A current of water or other fluid; a liquid substance flowing in a line or course, either on the earth, as a river or brook, or from a vessel or other reservoir or fountain. Hence,
2. A river, brook or rivulet.
3. A current of water in the ocean; as, the gulf stream.
4. A current of melted metal or other substance; as, a stream of lead or iron flowing from a furnace; a stream of lava from a volcano.
5. Any thing issuing from a source and moving with a continued succession of parts; as, a stream of words; a stream of sand. A stream of beneficence. – Atterbury.
6. A continued current or course; as, a stream of weather. [Not used.] – Ralegh. The stream of his life. – Shak.
7. A current of air or gas, or of light.
8. Current; drift; as, of opinions or manners. It is difficult to oppose the stream of public opinion.
9. Water.

1. To flow; to move or run in a continuous current. Blood streams from a vein. Beneath the banks where rivers stream. – Milton.
2. To emit; to pour out in abundance. His eyes streamed with tears.
3. To issue with continuance, not by fits. From op'ning skies my streaming glories shine. – Pope.
4. To issue or shoot in streaks; as, light streaming from the east.
5. To extend; to stretch in a long line; as, a flag streaming in the wind.

To mark with colors or embroidery in long tracts. The herald's mantle is streamed with gold. – Bacon.

1. A current of water or other fluid; a liquid flowing continuously in a line or course, either on the earth, as a river, brook, etc., or from a vessel, reservoir, or fountain; specifically, any course of running water; as, many streams are blended in the Mississippi; gas and steam came from the earth in streams; a stream of molten lead from a furnace; a stream of lava from a volcano.
2. To issue or flow in a stream] to flow freely or in a current, as a fluid or whatever is likened to fluids; as, tears streamed from her eyes.
   
   

   Beneath those banks where rivers stream. Milton.

3. To mark with colors or embroidery in long tracts.
   
   

   The herald's mantle is streamed with gold. Bacon.

4. A beam or ray of light.
   
   
   "Sun streams." Chaucer.
5. To pour out, or emit, a stream or streams.
   
   

   A thousand suns will stream on thee. Tennyson.

6. To unfurl.
   
   
   Shak.

   To stream the buoy. (Naut.) See under Buoy.

7. Anything issuing or moving with continued succession of parts; as, a stream of words; a stream of sand.
   
   
   "The stream of beneficence." Atterbury. "The stream of emigration." Macaulay.
8. To issue in a stream of light; to radiate.
9. A continued current or course; as, a stream of weather.
   
   
   "The very stream of his life." Shak.
10. To extend; to stretch out with a wavy motion; to float in the wind; as, a flag streams in the wind.
11. Current; drift; tendency; series of tending or moving causes; as, the stream of opinions or manners.
    
    

    Gulf stream. See under Gulf. -- Stream anchor, Stream cable. (Naut.) See under Anchor, and Cable. -- Stream ice, blocks of ice floating in a mass together in some definite direction. -- Stream tin, particles or masses of tin ore found in alluvial ground; -- so called because a stream of water is the principal agent used in separating the ore from the sand and gravel. -- Stream works (Cornish Mining), a place where an alluvial deposit of tin ore is worked. Ure. -- To float with the stream, figuratively, to drift with the current of opinion, custom, etc., so as not to oppose or check it.

    Syn. -- Current; flow; rush; tide; course. -- Stream, Current. These words are often properly interchangeable; but stream is the broader word, denoting a prevailing onward course. The stream of the Mississippi rolls steadily on to the Gulf of Mexico, but there are reflex currents in it which run for a while in a contrary direction.