stream

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
stream/striːm/

▶noun

• 1 a small, narrow river.

• 2 a continuous flow of liquid, air, gas, people, or things.

  ■ Computing a continuous flow of data, especially video and audio material, relayed over the Internet.

• 3 Brit. a group in which schoolchildren of the same age and ability are taught.

▶verb

• 1 (of liquid) run in a continuous flow.

  ■ (of a mass of people or things) move in a continuous flow.

  ■ (often as noun streaming) Computing relay (data, especially video and audio material) over the Internet as a steady, continuous stream.

• 2 run with tears, sweat, or other liquid.

• 3 float at full extent in the wind.

• 4 Brit. put (schoolchildren) in streams.

– phrases
against (or with) the stream against (or with) the prevailing view or tendency.
on stream in or into operation or existence.

– derivatives
streamlet noun.

– origin OE strēam (n.), of Gmc origin.