Flow v.

Pa. t. and pa. pple. flowed. Forms: Infln. 1 flówan, 3 flohen, 3–5 flowen, (3 flouwen), Orm. flowenn, south. vlowen, 4 floȝe, flowyn, 5–7 flowe, 5– flow. Pa. t. 1 fléow, pl. fleowon, 3 fleaw, flew, south. vleau; weak forms: 3 fléowede, Orm. flowedd, 4 floȝed, flowede, 6 flowd, 6– flowed. Pa. pple. 1 flówen, 4–7 flowen, 7–8 flown; 6– flowed. [OE. flówan, a redupl. str. vb. occurring as such only in Eng. From the same root *flô- are the wk. vbs. ON. flóa to flood, Du. vloeijen (= LG. flojen) to flow, and the Com. Teut. *flôitu-s FLOOD sb. The wk. pa. t. and pa. pple. appear in early ME.; the original str. pa. t. appears not to have survived into the 14th c., but the str. pa. pple., though rare after 15th c., occurs down to the 18th c. (and still later as an archaism or a blunder, esp. in the compound overflown).

  The Teut. *flô-:—pre-Teut. *plō- in Gr. πλώειν, to swim, float, πλωτός floating, navigable, L. plōrāre to weep. According to some scholars this is an ablaut-variant of *plē- to fill, be full (cf. Gr. πληθὐς fullness, L. plēnus full), perh. an extended form of *pel-: see FULL a. Others regard *plō- as standing for *plōu- lengthened grade of the root *pleu-, plou-, plu- (Teut. *fleu-, flau-, flu-), whence Skr. plu to swim, bathe, Gr. πλέειν to sail, πλύνειν to wash, L. pluit it rains, OHG. flewen, flawen (MHG. vlöuwen, vlæen) to rinse, ON. flaunir stream.

  The sense-development of the vb. in Eng. shows traces of influence from the like-sounding but etymologically unconnected L. fluĕre, of which it is the usual translation.]

  I.  To glide along as a stream.

  1.  intr. Of fluids, a stream, etc.: To move on a gently inclined surface with a continual change of place among the particles or parts; to move along in a current; to stream, run; to spread over (a surface). Also with along, down, on, out.

a. 1000.  Sal. & Sat., 321 (Gr.).

c. 1200.  Ormin, 14567.

a. 1250.  Owl & Night., 915.

c. 1325.  Body & Soul, in Map’s Poems (Camden), 347. The thridde day shal flowe a flod that al this world shal hylen.

a. 1400–50.  Alexander, 2053. For bale to Blissh on blod · þat on þe bent flowes.

1554.  in Strype, Eccl. Mem., III. App. xxiv. 67. Yf the water in Egypt called Nilus dyd not accustomably flow over Egypt, the wycked Egyptians laid the faulte to such as professed Christ.

1667.  Milton, P. L., I. 11.

1704.  Pope, Winter, 13.

1793.  Burns, Song, Wandering Willie, ii.

1854.  Ronalds & Richardson, Chem. Technol. (ed. 2), I. 363. The acid being first introduced into the uppermost, is allowed to flow consecutively into the lower vessels, remaining about half an hour in each.

1859.  Gullick & Timbs, Paint., 204–5. To admit of being discharged freely from the brush without flowing or spreading on the canvas.

  b.  Opposed to ‘stand.’ See FLOWING ppl. a.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 37.

  c.  Of the blood or other animal fluids: To pass along the vessels of the body; to circulate.

1603.  Shaks., Meas. for M., I. iii. 52.

1666.  Dryden, Ann. Mirab., ii.

1786.  Burns, Song, My Highland Lassie O, iii.

1817.  Shelley, Rev. Islam, VII. xxi. 5.

1845.  Budd, Dis. Liver, 276. Gall-stones are formed in numbers in the gall-bladder, only when the bile can flow into it through the cystic duct.

  d.  With advbs. To flow over = to overflow.

1526.  Tindale, 2 Cor. viii. 2. And howe that their povertie, though yt be depe, yet hath folowed [sic] over, and is become vnto them ryches in synglenes.

1606.  Shaks., Ant. & Cl., V. ii. 24.

  e.  quasi-trans. Of a river: To carry down (water) in its current.

1885.  F. Schwatka, The Great River of Alaska, in Century Mag., XXX. Sept., 747/2. It [the Tahk River] was flowing muddy water at the time, and our surmise that this would spoil our splendid grayling fishing proved to be correct.

  † 2.  To become liquid; to stream down, melt; lit. and fig. Obs.

c. 825.  Vesp. Psalter, lxvii[i]. 3. Swe floweð wex from onsiene fyres.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 110. His moderes wop, & þe oðres Maries, þæt fleoweden & melten al of teares.

1382.  Wyclif, Isa. lxiv. 1. Fro thi face hillis shulden flowe doun.

1477.  Norton, Ord. Alch., v., in Ashm. (1652), 59.

1641.  French, Distill., iv. (1651), 105. This oyl of Tartar must be made of salt of Tartar after it hath flowed in the fire.

1737.  Pope, Hor. Epist., II. i. 147.

  † b.  fig. To be unsteady, waver. Obs.

1434.  Misyn, Mending Life, 112. Se þat þou flow nott with vayn þoghtis.

1500–20.  Dunbar, Poems, vi. 47.

  c.  Ceram. To work or blend freely: said of a glaze. (Cent. Dict.)

  d.  Of a metal: To change its form under impact or tensile or compressive strain. Cf. quot. 1888, s.v. FLOWING ppl. a. 1.

  3.  a. Of persons: To come or go ‘In a stream or streams.’ Also with in, together.

1382.  Wyclif, Jer. xxxi. 12. Thei shul come, and preisen in the mount of Sion; and togidere flowen to the goodus of the Lord [1388, and thei schulen flowe togidere to the goodis of the Lord].

1611.  Bible, Jer. li. 44. And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed vp, and the nations shall not flow together any more vnto him, yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

1613.  Purchas, Pilgrimage, II. x. (1614), 160. Thence they [Iewes] flowed into other parts, into Bohemia (in the citie of Prage, are about fifteen thousand of them) and into Austria, and into Hungaria, whence, for the crucifying of a childe, they were banished by King Mathias: as at Trent for the like fact, and poysoning of Wells, they sustained much trouble in Germanie.

1742.  Pope, The Dunciad, IV. 275.

1817.  Shelley, Rev. Islam, V. xli.

1878.  Bosw. Smith, Carthage, 166. Men flowed in so plentifully that the rebel generals were able to begin the siege of Utica and Hippo Zarytus.

  b.  Of things material and immaterial: To move, pass as a stream. Also with away, down, in, together.

1382.  Wyclif, Ecclus. li. 9. For the deth flowende doun I louly preȝede.

1548.  Hall, Chron., Hen. VI., 137. Thus the victory flowed some tyme on the one parte, and sometyme on the other, but the treason of the Frenchmen, far surmounted in gettyng, bothe the pollicy and strength of the Englishe capitaines.

1560.  Bible (Genev.), Job xx. 28. The increase of his house shall go away; it shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

1607.  Hieron, Wks., I. 436. All the euils of the precedent ages, are flowne together into this, as into a common fevver.

1651.  Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxix. 173. There is sometimes in a Common-wealth, a Disease, which resembleth the Pleurisie; and that is, when the Treasure of the Common-wealth, flowing out of its due course, is gathered together in too much abundance, in one, or a few private men.

1717.  Pope, Elegy Unfort. Lady, 25.

1780.  Coxe, Russ. Disc., II. i. 188. But whatever were his original projects, he seems worthy, so far as intrepidity and prudence form a basis of merit, of the final success which flowed in upon him.

1816.  Shelley, Alastor, 533.

1833.  Ht. Martineau, Berkeley the Banker, I. vii. 141. The tide was turned: people were ashamed of their panic, and gold flowed in.

1878.  Ll. Jewitt, Ceramic Art, II. viii. 350. Orders for the new kind of ware flowed in upon him in a regular and constantly increasing stream, and at prices which were then considered liberal or even high.

  4.  Of composition or speech; in early use of a speaker or writer: To glide along smoothly, like a river.

1585.  Jas. I., Ess. Poesie (Arb.), 59. I doubt not bot zour eare makkis zou easilie to persaue, that the first lyne flowis weil, and the vther nathing at all.

1643.  Denham, Cooper’s H., 189.

1737.  Pope, Hor. Epist., II. i. 265.

1859.  Kingsley, Misc. (1860), I. 227. The most unmetrical and apparently careless passages flow with a grace, a lightness, a colloquial ease and frolic, which perhaps only heighten the effect of the serious parts, and serve as a foil to set off the unrivalled finish and melody of these latter.

1870.  E. Peacock, Ralf Skirl., III. 252. Conversation flowed freely. Their hearts were light, and they had no occasion to dread the future.

  5.  Of a garment, hair, etc.: To ‘stream’; to hang loose and waving; to lie in undulating curves. Also † of a person: To flow with (hair).

1606.  B. Jonson, Hymenæi, Wks. (Rtldg.), 558. From the top of which [coronet] flowed a transparent veil, downe to the ground. Ibid. (1608), Masque Beauty, Splendour, Wks. (Rtldg.), 549/1. In a robe of flame colour, naked brested; her bright hair loose flowing: she was drawn in a circle of clouds, her face and body breaking through: and in her hand a branch, with two roses, a white, and a red.

1648.  Herrick, Hesper., 29.

1667.  Milton, P. L., XI. 240.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 145.

1712.  Congreve, Ovid’s Art Love, III. 374.

1782.  Cowper, Gilpin, xlvi.

1810.  Scott, Lady of L., II. xvi.

a. 1881.  Rossetti, House of Life, vii.

  6.  Math. To increase or diminish continuously by infinitesimal quantities: to ‘vary’ (in the Newtonian Calculus). See FLUENT.

1715.  Phil. Trans., XXIX. 204. When the Letter x is put for a Quantity which flows uniformly, the Symbol ẋ is an Unit.

1758.  I. Lyons, Fluxions, 4. x flows from x–¹/₂χ to x+¹/₂χ.

1828.  Hutton, Course Math., II. 304. To obtain the second fluxion it will suffice to make x^n–1 flow, and to multiply the result by nax.

  † 7.  trans. (causatively). a. To make to flow, set flowing in, out. b. To make fluid. Obs.

1413.  Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), V. i. 74. He [God] must nedes contynuelly flowen oute his Bounte.

1477.  Norton, Ord. Alch., v., in Ashm. (1652), 79.

1579.  Fulke, Heskins’ Parl., 21. The Church is oft times verie wel compared vnto the sea, which first by the comming in of the multitude, floweth out waues from euery porch or entrie: and then maketh a noyse with the prayer of the whole people, as it were with the ebbing or flowing backe of the waues.

1635.  Brathwait, Arcad. Pr., II. (1635), 175. I plenteously flowed in mine afternoones potation.

  c.  In Founding, to permit (the molten metal) to flow through the mould long enough to carry off all air and foreign matter, in order to insure a casting free from bubbles and similar defects; to run through. (Cent. Dict.)

  d.  Naut. (See quot.)

1883.  W. C. Russell, Sailor’s Lang., Flow.—To let go the sheet of a head-sail.

  II.  To stream forth, issue in a stream.

  8.  To gush out, well forth, spring. Also with down, forth, out, over.

c. 825.  Vesp. Psalter, lxxvii[i]. 20. Forðon sloȝ stan & fleowun weter.

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., John xiv. 34. Hrædlice þar fleow blod ut & wæter.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 3875. Ðo flew ðor water michil and strong.

a. 1400–50.  Alexander, 1350. Þar flowe owt of fresh wynne · flodez enowe.

1574.  Hyll, Planting, 77. When the humour thereof is somewhat flowen.

1578.  Lyte, Dodoens, III. xxi. 302. The sappe, when … first flowen out, is white.

1591.  Spenser, Ruins Time, 650.

c. 1724.  Swift, Fontinella.

1813.  J. Thomson, Lect. Inflam., 251. The blood will continue to flow in an uninterrupted stream till the exhausted animal expires.

1828.  Scott, F. M. Perth, xxix. He hid his face with his hands, and his tears flowed plentifully and bitterly.

  b.  To issue or proceed from, † of, out of, something as a source.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 4783.

a. 1240.  Lofsong, in Cott. Hom., 211. Þet flod þet fleaw of þine wunden.

1535.  Coverdale, 2 Esdras, i. 20. Whan ye were thyrstie, dyd not I hew y^e hardstone & caused water ynough to flowe thereout?

1609.  J. Davies, Holy Roode (Grosart), I. 20/1.

1824.  R. Stuart, Hist. Steam Engine, 62. By opening cock f, cold water is now allowed to flow from the reservoir g.

  transf. and fig.  1382.  Wyclif, Song Sol. iv. 16. Bloȝ thurȝ my gardyn, and ther shul flowe swote spices of it.

1545.  Joye, Exp. Dan., Text vii. 10. There went longe fyery beames lyke a floude of fyer flouwing out of him.

1632.  Lithgow, Trav., II. 75. This City [Athens] was the Mother and Well-spring of all Liberall Arts and Sciences, and the great Cisterne of Europe, whence flowed so many Conduit pipes of learning all where, but now altogether decayed.

1682.  Burnet, Rights Princes, ii. 40. For some other Reason that flowed not from him, in that case he should not be censured.

1713.  Steele, Englishman, No. 10, 27 Oct., 66. I cannot rank him among the Impudent; for his Behaviour does not flow from an Hardness in his Mind, but a Forwardness in his Constitution.

1794.  Burns, A Vision, vii.

1818.  Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), II. 306. This rule flows of necessity from the nature of a remainder.

1888.  Bryce, Amer. Commw., II. xxxvii. 27. The Authority of the State Constitutions does not flow from Congress, but from acceptance by the citizens of the States for which they are made.

  c.  Of a person: To pour out one’s feelings. Also with out.

1677.  Government Venice, Ep. Ded. 3. I perceive I am flown out insensibly in your praises, which flow in upon my Pen without any labour or study.

1863.  Hawthorne, Our Old Home, Recoll. Gifted Woman (1884), 91. The interview lasted above an hour, during which she flowed out freely, as to the sole auditor, capable of any degree of intelligent sympathy, whom she had met with in a very long while.

1864.  Tennyson, Aylmer’s F., 563.

  † d.  trans. To pour forth in a stream. (Perh. reminiscent of the trans. use in 14 below).

1550.  Cranmer, Def., 77 b. He bringeth forth three examples; one of the stone that floweth water, another of the sea and cloud, and the third of manna.

  9.  Of the menstrual discharge. Said also of the person.

1754–64.  [see CATAMENIA].

1894.  Duane, Dict. Med., Flow. To menstruate; especially, to menstruate profusely.

  III.  To run full; to be in flood.

  10.  Of the sea, a tidal river, etc.: To rise and advance; frequent in phrase to ebb and flow: see EBB v. 1. To flow south, tide and half tide (see quots. 1627 and 1721). Cf. FLOOD sb. 1.

c. 1050.  Byrhtferth’s Handboc, in Anglia (1885), VIII. 327. Seo sæ symle feower prican oððe fif lator flowð.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 177. Eft son þe se flouweð.

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., B. 397. Bi þat þe flod to her fete · floȝed & waxed.

c. 1430.  Lydg., Min. Poems, 196.

1568.  Grafton, Chron., II. 441. I finde noted by certaine wryters, that thys yere the Thamys did flowe three times in one daye, as though the same were matter worthye of a note, for the straungenesse thereof.

1624.  Heywood, Gunaik., IV. 182. The waters were driuen so farre backe, that they were flowed eighteene cubites aboue their woonted compasse.

1626.  Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Seamen, 17. It flowes quarter floud, high water, or a still water. Ibid. (1627) Seaman’s Gram. (1653), 48. It flowes Tide and halfe Tide, that is, it will be halfe flood by the shore, before it begin to flow in the channell; for although the Tide of flood run aloft, yet the Tide of ebbe runnes close by the ground.

1691.  Swift, Athenian Soc., Wks. 1755, IV. I. 229.

1721–1800.  in Bailey, It Flows South [Sea Phrase] it is high Water when the Sun is at that Point at new or full Moon.

1739.  Labelye, Short Acc. Piers Westm. Bridge, 34. Before the Tide had flown or risen so high, as to endanger the Caisson and Stone-work from being floated out of its true Place, the Masons gave over for that Tide, and the Sluice was open’d to let the Water in.

1816.  Byron, Prisoner Chillon, vi.

1830.  Lyell, Princ. Geol., I. 304. In many estuaries, as in the Thames, for example, the tide requires about five hours to flow up, and about seven to flow down; so that the preponderating force is always in the direction which tends to keep open a deep and broad passage.

1884.  D. Pae, Eustace, 7. The tide was flowing.

  fig.  1399.  Langl., Rich. Redeles, III. 206. So vertue wolde fflowe · whan vicis were ebbid.

1600.  Shaks., As You Like It, II. vii. 72.

1786.  Burns, Ded. to G. Hamilton, 111.

1817.  Shelley, Rev. Islam, V. li.

1820.  Sporting Mag., VII. 25. The tide of success that flowed to Vauxhall.

  † 11.  To rise to a great height and overflow. In fig. phrases, To flow above the banks, to flow past shore: to overflow. Obs.

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XIX. cxli. (1495), 945. The ryuer Nylus was flowen and arysen.

a. 1625.  Beaum. & Fl., False One, III. iv.

  fig.  1590.  Spenser, F. Q., II. ii. 36.

1606.  Shaks., Tr. & Cr., V. ii. 41. You flow to great distraction.

1615.  Chapman, Odyss., III. 335.

  b.  The obs. pa. pple. flown, orig. used of a stream with the sense ‘swollen,’ ‘in flood’ (see quot. c. 1510), was used fig. in 17th c. of persons, and survives in allusions to Milton’s phrase. (It is doubtful whether the etymological sense was remembered in the 17th c.) Cf. HIGHFLOWN.

c. 1510.  Sir R. Guilford’s Pilgrimage (Camden), 31. Torrens Cedron, which in somer tyme is drye, and in wynter, and specyally in Lent, it is meruaylously flowen with rage of water y^t commyth with grete vyolence thrugh the vale of Josophat.

a. 1656.  Ussher, Ann. VI. (1658), 250. Meleager, sitting at supper, and being somewhat high flowen with wine.

1667.  Milton, P. L., I. 500.

1725.  Pope, Odyss., I. 292.

1879.  Butcher & Lang, Odyssey, 8. In such wise, flown with insolence, do they seem to me to revel wantonly through the house.

  † 12.  Of the eyes: To become overfull, to fill of, with (tears, etc.). Obs.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 64. Al þe leor schal ulowen o teares, he seið.

a. 1240.  Wohunge, in Cott. Hom., 283. Nu min herte mai to breke, min ehne flowen al o water.

c. 1600.  Shaks., Sonnet xxx.

c. 1689.  Prior, To Ld. Buckhurst, 19.

1710.  Steele, Tatler, No. 235, 10 Oct., ¶ 3. I have often seen the old Man’s Heart flow at his Eyes with Joy upon Occasions which would appear indifferent to such as were Strangers to the Turn of his Mind.

  13.  Of wine, etc.: To be poured out without stint; also fig. † In early use of wealth, etc. (after L. affluĕre): To abound.

c. 1000.  Ags. Ps. lxi[i]. 11 [10].

1490.  Caxton, Eneydos, xxii. 83. Grete anguysshes, sorowes & heuynesses, which dyde flowe at her herte in grete haboundance.

1667.  Milton, P. L., V. 633.

1782.  Cowper, Charity, 279.

1817.  Shelley, Rev. Islam, IX. xvii. 2.

  14.  To flow with († in, † of): to abound in, to overflow with. Now rare exc. in Biblical phrase to flow with milk and honey (Wyclif and Mandeville, following a barbarism of the Vulgate, use the vb. in this phrase as transitive).

1382.  Wyclif, Exod. iii. 8. A loond that flowith [1388, with] mylk and hony. Ibid. (1388), Eccl. xi. 25. Who schal deuoure so, and schal flowe in delicis, as Y dide?

c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), xxx. 137. I sall giffe to ȝow land flowande mylke and hony.

1539.  Taverner, Erasm. Prov. (1545), 53. It is excedyng harde for such as flowe in worldly goodes to haue a mynde vntangled wyth the same, & to beare them selues vpright towardes god and man.

a. 1592.  H. Smith, Three Serm. (1604), 23. Christ so flowed now with disciples, y^t his mother could haue no roome to heare him?

1678.  Cudworth, Intell. Syst., 877. The Unjust and Ungodly, often flow in all kind of Prosperity, whilst the Innocent and Devout Worshippers of the Deity, all their Lives long, conflict with Adversity.

1781.  Gibbon, Decl. & F., III. lii. 269. ‘Of what do you complain?’ said the crafty emir; ‘I have brought you to a land flowing with milk and honey.’

  15.  trans. To cover or fill with water; to flood.

1382.  Wyclif, Isa. xxviii. 17. The proteccioun watris shul flowe.

1666.  Evelyn, Mem., 8 May (1819), I. 386. Here I flowed the drie moate.

1712.  Mortimer, Husb., II. 232. Watering hops is scarce practicable, unless you have a Stream at hand to flow the Ground.

1845.  Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., VI. II. 274. Care being taken not to flow the land in summer where sheep are kept, as they would be exposed to that fatal malady the rot.

  b.  To cover with any liquid, as varnish or glaze, by causing it to flow over the surface. Also, To allow (a film) to flow.

1864.  J. Towler, Silver Sunbeam, xxii. 144. The glass is filed, cleaned and flowed with collodion, as before directed.

1889.  Anthony’s Photogr. Bull., II. 257. The surface appearing as if a very attenuated film of milk and water had been flowed over its surface.

  16.  Of the tide: To overtake and surround (a person). dial. (See quots.)

1735.  Dyche & Pardon, Flow, to come upon a Person or Thing greatly or hastily, like the Motion of Water when the Tide is coming in.

1875.  Parish, Sussex Gloss., s.v. ‘You’re too oudacious daring on they sands; if you doant mind you’ll be flown in, one of these days.’

1876.  Whitby Gloss., s.v. ‘They got flow’d on.’

  Hence Flower Metallurgy, a flow-gate (see FLOW sb.¹ 9).

1881.  Wylie, Iron Founding, 50, heading. The use of flo’ers or gates. Ibid., 66. According to the thickness of the part so should the size of the flow’er be.