stream / strēm/ • n. 1. a small, narrow river.2. a continuous flow of liquid, air, or gas: Frank blew out a stream of smoke the blood gushed out in scarlet streams. ∎  a current within a larger body of water or in the ocean. ∎  (a stream/streams of) a mass of people or things moving continuously in the same direction: there is a steady stream of visitors. ∎  (a stream/streams of) a large number of things that happen or come one after the other: a woman shouted a stream of abuse. ∎  Comput. a continuous flow of data or instructions, typically one having a constant or predictable rate.3. British term for track noun sense 5.• v. 1. [intr.] (of liquid) run or flow in a continuous current in a specified direction: she sat with tears streaming down her face | fig. sunlight streamed through the windows. ∎  (of a mass of people or things) move in a continuous flow in a specified direction: he was watching the taxis streaming past.2. [intr.] (usu. be streaming) (of a person or part of the body) produce a continuous flow of liquid; run with liquid: my eyes were streaming I woke up in the night, streaming with sweat | [tr.] his mouth was streaming blood. 3. [intr.] (of hair, clothing, etc.) float or wave at full extent in the wind: her black cloak streamed behind her.4. Comput. [tr.] transmit (audio or video data) continuously, so that the parts arriving first can be viewed or listened to while the remainder is downloading.5. British term for track verb sense 4.PHRASES: against (or with) the stream against (or with) the prevailing view or tendency: a world in which the demand for quality does not run against the stream.on stream in or into operation or existence; available: more jobs are coming on stream.ORIGIN: Old English strēam (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stroom, German Strom, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek rhein ‘to flow.’