What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Surge vs Stream - What's the difference?

surge | stream | Related terms |

Surge is a related term of stream.


As nouns the difference between surge and stream

is that surge is a sudden transient rush, flood or increase while stream is a small river; a large creek; a body of moving water confined by banks.

As verbs the difference between surge and stream

is that surge is (lb) to rush, flood, or increase suddenly while stream is to flow in a continuous or steady manner, like a liquid.

surge

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A sudden transient rush, flood or increase.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=November 7, author=Matt Bai, title=Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=As President Obama turns his attention once again to filling out a cabinet and writing an Inaugural Address, this much is clear: he should not expect to bask in a surge of national unity, or to witness a crowd of millions overrun the Mall just to say they were there.}}
  • The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's forward/backward oscillation
    • He felt a surge of excitement.
  • (electricity) A sudden electrical spike or increase of voltage and current.
    • A power surge at that generator created a blackout across the whole district.
  • (nautical) The swell or heave of the sea. (FM 55-501).
  • * Bible, James i. 6
    • He that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
  • * Dryden
    • He flies aloft, and, with impetuous roar, / Pursues the foaming surges to the shore.
  • (obsolete) A spring; a fountain.
  • * Ld. Berners
    • divers surges and springs of water
  • The tapered part of a windlass barrel or a capstan, upon which the cable surges, or slips.

    • Synonyms

    * inrush

    Derived terms

    * countersurge * surgeless

    Verb

    (surg)
  • (lb) To rush, flood, or increase suddenly.
  • :
  • *
  • *:Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers, of errand not wholly obvious to their fellows, yet of such sort as to call into query alike the nature of their errand and their own relations.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-03, author=David S. Senchina, volume=101, issue=2, page=134
    • , magazine=(American Scientist) , title= Athletics and Herbal Supplements , passage=Athletes' use of herbal supplements has skyrocketed in the past two decades. At the top of the list of popular herbs are echinacea and ginseng, whereas garlic, St. John's wort, soybean, ephedra and others are also surging in popularity or have been historically prevalent.}}
  • To accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly.
  • :
  • *{{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 2, work=BBC
    • , title= Wales 2-1 Montenegro , passage=Wales began the second half as they ended the first, closing down Montenegro quickly and the pressure told as Bale surged into the box and pulled the ball back for skipper Ramsey, arriving on cue, to double their lead.}}
  • To slack off a line.

    • Related terms

    * source

    References

    * * * FM 55-501

    Anagrams

    * * ----

    stream

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small river; a large creek; a body of moving water confined by banks.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=Now we plunged into a deep shade with the boughs lacing each other overhead, and crossed dainty, rustic bridges over the cold trout-streams , the boards giving back the clatter of our horses' feet:
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-01, author=Nancy Langston, volume=101, issue=1, page=59
    • , magazine=(American Scientist) , title= The Fraught History of a Watery World , passage=European adventurers found themselves within a watery world, a tapestry of streams , channels, wetlands, lakes and lush riparian meadows enriched by floodwaters from the Mississippi River.}}
  • A thin connected passing of a liquid through a lighter gas (e.g. air).
  • Any steady flow or succession of material, such as water, air, radio signal or words.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=10 citation , passage=With a little manœuvring they contrived to meet on the doorstep which was […] in a boiling stream of passers-by, hurrying business people speeding past in a flurry of fumes and dust in the bright haze.}}
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=December 21, author=Helen Pidd
    • , title=Europeans migrate south as continent drifts deeper into crisis, work=the Guardian citation , passage=A new stream of migrants is leaving the continent. It threatens to become a torrent if the debt crisis continues to worsen.}}
  • (sciences) An umbrella term for all moving waters.
  • (computing) A source or repository of data that can be read or written only sequentially.
  • (UK, education) A division of a school year by perceived ability.

    • Synonyms

    * beck * brook * burn * creek * flow * rill

    Related terms

    * live stream * streamer * river * jet stream * Gulf Stream

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To flow in a continuous or steady manner, like a liquid.
  • * Milton
    • beneath those banks where rivers stream
  • * 1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 4
    • When I came to myself I was lying, not in the outer blackness of the Mohune vault, not on a floor of sand; but in a bed of sweet clean linen, and in a little whitewashed room, through the window of which the spring sunlight streamed .
  • To extend; to stretch out with a wavy motion; to float in the wind.
    • A flag streams in the wind.
  • (Internet) To push continuous data (e.g. music) from a server to a client computer while it is being used (played) on the client.

    • Anagrams

    * ----