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Runoff vs Flow - What's the difference?

runoff | flow |

As nouns the difference between runoff and flow

is that runoff is that portion of precipitation or irrigation on an area which does not infiltrate or evaporate, but instead is discharged from the area while flow is a movement in people or things with a particular way in large numbers or amounts.

As a verb flow is

to move as a fluid from one position to another.

runoff

English

(wikipedia runoff)

Alternative forms

* run-off

Noun

  • That portion of precipitation or irrigation on an area which does not infiltrate or evaporate, but instead is discharged from the area.
  • Dissolved chemicals, etc, included in such water.
    • The runoff of nitrates is poisoning the lake.
  • A second or further round of an indecisive election, after other candidates (often all but the last two) have been eliminated,
    • There will now be a runoff as neither front runner received more than 50% of the vote.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=April 23 , author=Angelique Chrisafis , title=François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election , work=the Guardian citation , page= , passage= It is one of the left's best ever results and will raise momentum for next month's final runoff where only the two candidates will compete against each other.}}

    Derived terms

    * surface runoff

    flow

    English

    Noun

  • A movement in people or things with a particular way in large numbers or amounts
  • The movement of a real or figurative fluid.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=Mr. Cooke at once began a tirade against the residents of Asquith for permitting a sandy and generally disgraceful condition of the roads. So roundly did he vituperate the inn management in particular, and with such a loud flow of words, that I trembled lest he should be heard on the veranda.}}
  • The rising movement of the tide.
  • Smoothness or continuity.
  • The amount of a fluid that moves or the rate of fluid movement.
  • (psychology) The state of being at one with.
  • Menstruation fluid

    • Antonyms

    * (movement of the tide) ebb

    Related terms

    * antiflow * dark flow * ebb and flow * flowable * inflow * midflow * outflow * postflow * preflow * reflow * reflowable

    External links

    * (wikipedia "flow") *

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To move as a fluid from one position to another.
    • Rivers flow from springs and lakes.
    Tears flow from the eyes.
  • To proceed; to issue forth.
    • Wealth flows from industry and economy.
  • * Milton
    • Those thousand decencies that daily flow / From all her words and actions.
  • To move or match smoothly, gracefully, or continuously.
    • The writing is grammatically correct, but it just doesn't flow .
  • * Dryden
    • Virgil is sweet and flowing in his hexameters.
  • To have or be in abundance; to abound, so as to run or flow over.
  • * Bible, Joel iii. 18
    • In that day the hills shall flow with milk.
  • * Prof. Wilson
    • the exhilaration of a night that needed not the influence of the flowing bowl
  • To hang loosely and wave.
    • a flowing''' mantle; '''flowing locks
  • * A. Hamilton
    • the imperial purple flowing in his train
  • To rise, as the tide; opposed to ebb .
    • The tide flows twice in twenty-four hours.
  • * Shakespeare
    • The river hath thrice flowed , no ebb between.
  • (computing) To arrange (text in a wordprocessor, etc.) so that it wraps neatly into a designated space; to reflow.
  • To cover with water or other liquid; to overflow; to inundate; to flood.
  • To cover with varnish.
  • To discharge excessive blood from the uterus.

    • Anagrams

    * *