Forms: 3, 6–7 streame, 4–6 streme, 7– stream. [f. STREAM sb.]
I. Intransitive senses.
1. Of a body of liquid: To flow or issue in a stream; to flow or run in a full and continuous current. Also with advs., as away, down, out, forth.
Formerly sometimes of a river (merely = flow).
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 188 (MS. T.). Blodi strundes streamden & leafden his swete bodi.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XII. 560. Quhill throu the byrneiss brist the blud, That till the erd doune stremand ȝeed.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 302 b. So sore they dyd thryst them on thy heed yt the blode stremed downe by thy blessed chekes.
1591. G. Fletcher, Russe Commw., ii. 6. The eight [river is] Ocka, that … streameth into Volgha.
c. 1630. Risdon, Surv. Devon, § 247 (1810), 259. The river Ock streameth by Stow.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 467. A Rib, with cordial spirits warme, And Life-blood streaming fresh.
1759. Johnson, Rasselas, vii. The clouds broke on the surrounding mountains, and the torrents streamed into the plain on every side.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vi. II. 72. She suffered the tears to stream down her cheeks unconcealed.
fig. 1579. Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. Tim., 341/1. Let euery one of vs know … that vnlesse hee were stayed vp from an high by the vertue of the holie Ghost, he should finde him selfe to streame away as the water doth.
b. of a glacier.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xiv. 98. Not a trace of vegetation could be seen along the whole range of the bounding mountains: glaciers streamed from their shoulders into the valley beneath.
c. of a road, or of land that seems to move in the opposite direction to one who passes along it.
1833. Tennyson, Dream Fair W., Introd. As when a man, that sails in a balloon, Downlooking sees the solid shining ground Stream from beneath him. Ibid. (1864), Voyage, 50. O hundred shores of happy climes, How swiftly stream’d ye by the bark!
1882. Bret Harte, Flip, i. Just where the red track of the Los Gatos road streams on and upward.
2. transf. and fig. of light, air, vapor, immaterial effluences, etc.: To be carried or emitted in a full and continuous current.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter lxi. 11. Welthes if þai streinen smert [Vulg. si affluant], Nil þou set on þam þi hert.
14[?]. Beryn, 2468. Part of sapience Stremyd in-to his hert, for his eloquence.
1578. H. Wotton, Courtlie Controv., 59. Vntill the fountaine of loue, streaming from their eyes, gaue libertye vnto restrained speeche.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, II. iii. 82. And to imperiall loue, that God most high, Do my sighes streame.
1661. Power, Exp. Philos. (1664), Pref. b 4 b. They are all porous, and the ætherial Matter is continually streaming through them.
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, xxvi. She observed the rays of the lamp stream through a small opening.
1852. H. Rogers, Ecl. Faith (1853), 244. The morning sun was streaming in at the window.
1871. L. Stephen, Playgr. Eur. (1894), iv. 98. The clouds … streamed out from their shelter into the current of the gale.
1875. Clark Russell, John Holdsworth, xx. Amid the clanking of spoons in glasses,… the conversation streamed into milder channels.
1897. S. Crane, Third Violet, i. 4. Dust streamed out behind the vehicle.
1897. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., III. 81. In a short time neuralgic pangs stream along the limbs.
b. Of a star or meteor: To form a continuous trail of light as it moves in its course. (Cf. 6.)
1838. Emerson, Lit. Ethics, Wks. (Bohn), II. 206. Over him [the scholar] stream the flying constellations.
1884. R. S. Ball, in Nature, 4 Sept., 455/1. I looked up just in time to see a superb shooting star stream across the heavens.
3. a. Of a flag, or the like: To wave or float outwards in the wind.
1560. Phaër, Æneid, IX. (1562), Dd iij. Thou sawest … how his helmet crest did streaming stare?
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 537. Th’ Imperial Ensign … Shon like a Meteor streaming to the Wind. Ibid., V. 590. Ten thousand thousand Ensignes high advanc’d … Streame in the Aire.
1846. Mrs. A. Marsh, Father Darcy, II. xx. 346. His own man, pale with terror, his hair streaming in the wind, came rushing … through the wood.
1853. Lytton, My Novel, XII. xxxii. Flags stream, and drums beat.
indirect passive. 1907. E. Gosse, Father & Son, 157. Dark rocks … streamed over by silken flags of royal crimson and purple.
b. Of hair, a garment, etc.: To hang loose and waving; to lie in undulating curves; to trail out, behind.
1784. Cowper, Task, IV. 541. Her head, adorn’d with lappets pinn’d aloft, And ribbands streaming gay.
1820. Keats, Hyperion, I. 214. His flaming robes stream’d out beyond his heels.
1822. W. Tennant, Thane of Fife, V. xlv. Stream’d from her cinctur’d waist her long cymar behind.
1883. S. C. Hall, Retrospect, II. 155. His loose grey hair streamed over his shoulders.
c. indirect passive, with upon: To be ornamented with (a profusion of jewels).
1837. Lady Granville, Lett. (1894), II. 225. A white tissue floating about her like clouds, looped up and streamed upon with jewels.
4. Of persons (or animals): To move together continuously in considerable numbers; to flock. Often with adv., as out, in, down, up, away.
1735. Dyche & Pardon, Dict., Stream v., to walk, move, or go along soberly or gently with the Current, &c., also to loiter about idly.
1815. Scott, Guy M., xiii. People … streamed to it from all quarters.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., III. I. vii. Recruits stream up on him.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xlix. (1856), 464. We began to observe too flocks of little Auk streaming south.
1863. Kingsley, Water-Bab., viii. 343. The sea-birds sang as they streamed out into the ocean.
1879. Froude, Cæsar, xix. 323. Horse and foot were streaming along the roads.
b. spec. of the hounds going after the fox in open country.
1853. R. S. Surtees, Sponge’s Sp. Tour, ix. 45. From the summit … they see the hounds streaming away to a fine grass country below.
1883. E. Pennell-Elmhirst, Cream Leicestersh., 146. A fine big fox away, with the pack streaming after him.
1897. Encycl. Sport, I. 583/1. (Hunting, fox) Streaming, going across open country, spread out.
c. Without the notion of large numbers: To go with a rush. rare.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xv. It was scarcely out of his mouth when Mrs. Firkin and Miss Briggs had streamed up the stairs, had rushed into the drawing-room [etc.].
5. To pour off or exude liquid in a continuous stream; to run, drip, overflow with moisture. Of the eyes: To overflow with (tears); also with over. Of the body: To run with, † on (blood or sweat).
[c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, IV. 247. Hys eyen two, for pite of his herte, Out stremeden as swyfte welles tweye.]
a. 1375. Joseph Arim., 560. He seiȝ a child strauȝt þer-on, stremynge on blode.
1693. Evelyn, De la Quint. Compl. Gard., Cult. Orange-trees, 15. Whilst the Clod is thus streaming, should one put it into a new Earth’d Case, it would make it all into a Mortar.
1735. Somerville, Chase, IV. 90. The smoking Litter … seek the pouting Teat, That plenteous streams.
1736. trans. Rollin’s Anc. Hist., XVIII. II. iii. VIII. 426. Every part of the city streamed with blood.
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, i. With supplicating eyes that streamed with tears.
1812. Byron, Ch. Har., I. xiii. Song viii. Fresh feeres will dry the bright blue eyes We late saw streaming o’er.
1841. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, xlviii. Still Lord George, streaming from every pore, went on with Gashford.
1850. [see STREAMING ppl. a. 1].
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 18. The day was hot and he was streaming with perspiration.
1878. Meredith, Love in Valley, xii. Streaming like a willow grey in arrowy rain.
6. Of a luminous body: To emit a continuous stream of beams or rays of light. Also spec. of a comet, with reference to its ‘tail’: To issue in a widening stream of light.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 5286. With stoute starand stanes þat stremed as þe son.
c. 1420. Lydg., Ballad, Commend. Our Lady, 68. Lauriat coroun, stremand as a sterre.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., II. ii. 21. Her eye[s] in heauen, Would through the ayrie Region streame so bright, That Birds would sing, and thinke it were not night.
1608. Topsell, Serpents, 277. About their backes there are many little shining spots like eyes … streaming like starres.
1617. L. Digges, trans. Claudian’s Rape Proserpine, I. D 3 b. A Comet … streaming o’re the world with bloudy light.
1842. Tennyson, Farew., 13. A thousand suns will stream on thee.
1908. [Miss E. Fowler], Betw. Trent & Ancholme, 68. The Comet’s tail streams and widens upward.
b. With a blending of sense 5: To be suffused with (radiant light).
1830. T. S. Hughes, Trav. Sicily (ed. 2), I. iv. 119. As he ascended in the sky the mountain tops began to stream with golden light.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. xviii. 223. A gorge that was streaming at noonday with the southern sun.
II. Transitive senses.
7. To cause to flow; to pour forth, discharge, or emit in a stream (a liquid, rays of light, etc.). Also with adv., as out, forth, down.
1388. Wyclif, Prov. v. 16. Thi wellis be stremed forth [Vulg. deriventur fontes tui foras].
1493. Dives & Paup. (W. de W., 1496), I. ii. 33/2. His hondes were nayled to the crosse and stremed out blood.
1570. Dee, Math. Pref., b ij. The true Sonne of rightwisenesse … hath so abundantly streamed into our hartes, the direct beames of his goodnes, mercy, and grace.
1596. Spenser, Hymne Hon. Beautie, 26. It may so please, that she at length will streame Some deaw of grace into my withered hart.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, II. xx. That light‘ning ray Which her sweete beautie streamed on his face.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., III. i. 201. Had I as many eyes, as thou hast wounds, Weeping as fast as they streame forth thy blood.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., II. 115. S. Peter … streamed downe upon the Church such abundance of sincere milk, as himselfe styleth it.
1789. Polwhele, Engl. Orator, IV. 380. She [Religion] sits … Streaming cherubic Effluence o’er her Heaven Of spotless Azure.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., iv. He took a large purse from his bosom,… and streamed a shower of small silver pieces into the goblet.
1868. Model Steam Eng., 19. If now cold water from a sponge be streamed over the bottom of the flask, boiling will recommence.
1880. C. R. Markham, Peruv. Bark, 143. The moon streamed its floods of light over the forest.
1891. ‘Max O’Rell,’ Frenchm. in Amer., 268. The firemen streaming floods of water over the roof and through the windows.
† fig. 1607. Hieron, Wks., I. 420. The best which he [sc. man] hath in him is corrupt: he is streamed out of an infected fountain.
1608. Willet, Hexapla Exod., 641. Royall power, streaming glorie and princely dignitie.
b. Of a river, a fountain: To have its stream composed of (an alien liquid); to run with (blood, etc.).
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, V. i. (1614), 454. A golden world, where meale was as plentifull as dust, and fountaines streamed milke, hony, wine, and oyle.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 209. The river of Adonis, which is said by Lucan [ed. 3 correctly Lucian] to haue streamed bloud.
c. To stream out: to exhaust by unrestricted flow. Also fig.
1628. Feltham, Resolves, I. xv. 43. Themistocles, that streamed out his youth, in Wine, and Venery.
1894. E. A. Minchin, trans. Bütschli’s Investig. Microsc. Foams, 79. To find out whether … one can produce new streamings in drops which have streamed themselves out.
8. To suffuse or overspread (a surface) with flowing moisture. Also fig.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 302 b. With … pale visage, all stremed with blode.
1806. G. Pinckard, Notes W. Indies, III. 207. From using only moderate exercise, I am so streamed with perspiration as to make it necessary to change my clothes four or five times in the course of the day.
1897. F. Thompson, New Poems, 17. While his being is Streamed with the set of the world’s harmonies.
† 9. To ornament with flowing lines or rays. Obs.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 8. Stremyd with sonnes were alle her garmentis.
1611. Florio, Irrigare, to streame any thing by lines.
a. 1626. Bacon, New Atlantis, 23. The Heralds Mantle is streamed with Gold.
10. To cause (a flag) to float outwards in the wind; to wave (a handkerchief).
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., IV. i. 94. Streaming the Ensigne of the Christian Crosse, Against black Pagans, Turkes, and Saracens.
1787. Polwhele, Engl. Orator, II. 654. Some Bark Streaming the well-known Pendant.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., xiv. As they streamed towards him their kerchiefs, in token of encouragement.
11. Naut. To stream the buoy: to throw the anchor-buoy overboard before casting anchor.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), s.v. Buoy.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, x. 23. After the topsails had been sheeted home,… and the buoys streamed, and all ready forward for slipping.
1882. Nares, Seamanship (ed. 6), 162. Stream the buoy, and heave the anchor over.
12. Mining. To flush (a detrital deposit) with a stream of water, in order to carry off the earthy matter, and leave the ore exposed. Usually absol. to stream for (tin, copper, etc.).
1778. W. Pryce, Min. Cornub., 132. Nothing else remains than to describe the manner of Streaming.
1787. Groschke, trans. Klaproth’s Observ. Fossils Cornw., 11. The manner of streaming or collecting the tin rubbles … is briefly the following.
1796. Trans. Soc. Arts, XIV. 166. On streaming or searching for tin,… another stratum was discovered.
1866. Kingsley, Herew., iii. Past the ugly dykes and muddy leats, where Alef’s slaves were streaming the gravel for tin ore.
1877. Encycl. Brit., VI. 425/2. Copper, which lies deeper in the earth, and consequently cannot be ‘streamed’ for.
1899. Baring-Gould, Bk. West, II. Cornw., 61. Hardly a gully has not been streamed, every river-bed has been turned over.
1907. Proc. Soc. Antiquaries, 456. For the purpose of streaming for wolfram, or tungsten.
13. Dyeing. To wash (silk fabric) in running water, before putting in the dye.
1883. R. Haldane, Workshop Rec., Ser. II. 40/2. After which it [the woven silk] is removed to be streamed in running water, and beaten, till thoroughly clean and ready for dyeing.
