Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

flow

1 noun
     
Related topics: Nature
flow1 S2 W2
1

liquid/gas/electricity

[countable usually singular] a smooth steady movement of liquid, gas, or electricity
flow of
He struggled to swim against the flow of the water.
I tied a towel round his leg to try to stem the flow of blood.
2

traffic

[countable usually singular, uncountable] the steady movement of traffic:
a new road system to improve traffic flow through the city centre
3

goods/people/information

[countable usually singular] the movement of goods, people, or information from one place to another
flow of
the flow of funds from the US to Europe
There has been a steady flow of people leaving the area.
They have accused the government of trying to block the free flow of information.
an attempt to stem the flow of refugees across the border
4

speech/writing

[uncountable] the continuous stream of words or ideas when someone is speaking, writing, or thinking about something:
I didn't want to interrupt her flow, so I said nothing.
5

of the sea

[singular]DN the regular movement of the sea towards the land:
the ebb and flow of the tide
6

in full flow

informal if someone is in full flow, they are busy talking about something and seem likely to continue for a long time
7

go with the flow

to agree that you will do the thing that most people want to do:
I don't mind, I'll just go with the flow.
8

go against the flow

to do something very different from what other people are doing
➔ cash flow

; ➔ ebb and flow

at ebb1 (3)
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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