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
Ed Frauenheim3
: 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 cultural—P. B. Baltes
P. B. Baltes6
British
: track sense 5c
streamed; streaming; streams
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
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
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
Will DennisSynonyms
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
Angela Haupt, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
By 1958, part of the stream in Elm Grove was developed over, and routed into a concrete culvert, which no longer absorbed the water as the wetland did.
—Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2024
Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Apple suggests that the 16-inch MacBook Pro can last up to 24 hours of web browsing or streaming 1080p video.
—PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stream 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Otherwise, you’ll likely be inundated with an endless stream of texts from the family group chat and notifications from social-media platforms.
—Angela Haupt, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
By 1958, part of the stream in Elm Grove was developed over, and routed into a concrete culvert, which no longer absorbed the water as the wetland did.
—Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
An indefinable musical by a French auteur is headed for millions of streaming subscribers.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Apple suggests that the 16-inch MacBook Pro can last up to 24 hours of web browsing or streaming 1080p video.
—PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stream
Dictionary Entries Near stream
Cite this Entry
“Stream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stream. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stream
1 of 2 noun1
: 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 verb1
: 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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