stream

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A small narrow river or body of running water smaller than a river.

   Grammar: Countable with a plural: a clear stream, several mountain streams.

   Patterns

   • mountain stream
   • stream bank
   • cross a stream

   We crossed the stream on flat stepping stones.

   After the rain, the stream rose above its banks.

   Trout hid under the rocks in the cold stream.

2. 2nouncountable or uncountable

   A continuous flow or series of people, liquid, light, data, or events moving in one direction.

   Grammar: Can be countable for one line or series: a stream of traffic; often singular after an or the.

   Patterns

   • stream of traffic
   • constant stream
   • stream of data
   • stream of visitors

   A steady stream of visitors entered the museum.

   Tears ran in a thin stream down her cheek.

   The app processes a live stream of sensor data.

3. 3verbtransitive or intransitivecomputinginformal

   To send or receive sound or video continuously over the internet rather than downloading a whole file first.

   Grammar: Can take an object or stand alone: stream a film; the video streams smoothly.

   Patterns

   • stream a movie
   • stream music
   • stream live
   • stream online

   We streamed a documentary on the laptop.

   The concert will stream live at eight.

   My phone streams music over the kitchen speaker.

4. 4nouncountableBritish

   A group into which students are placed by ability or level in some school systems.

   Grammar: Mainly British and countable; learners are put into a stream.

   Patterns

   • top stream
   • stream students
   • move up a stream

   He was placed in the top stream for mathematics.

   The school streams pupils near the end of primary.

   She moved up a stream after the spring exams.

Word forms

Common combinations

stream live

Fans can stream live matches on their tablets.

steady stream

A steady stream of customers kept the café busy.

data stream

The sensor sends a continuous data stream to the server.

Synonyms and how they differ

brook

Brook is a small stream, often in the countryside; stream is the general word.

flow

Flow stresses continuous movement, while stream can name a small river or a line of things.

broadcast

Broadcast covers radio and TV generally; stream specifically suggests continuous internet delivery.

Opposites

Word family

streamline verb

To make a process simpler and more efficient.

streamlined adjective

Made smooth, efficient, and free from extra parts.

streamer noun

A long narrow ribbon of paper or a flag that streams.

Commonly confused: stream or steam? stream or stresm?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “stream”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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