King James Bible Dictionary

FLOW, verb intransitive [Latin fluo, contracted from fugo, for it forms fluri, fuctum. In one case, the word would agree with the root of blow, Latin flo; in the other, with the root of fly.]

1. To move along an inclined plane, or on descending ground, by the operation of gravity, and with a continual change of place among the particles or parts, as a fluid. A solid body descends or moves in mass, as a ball or a wheel; but in the flowing of liquid substances, and others consisting of very fine particles, there is a constant change of the relative position of some parts of the substance, as in the case with a stream of water, of quicksilver, and of sand. Particles at the bottom and sides of the stream, being somewhat checked by friction, move slower than those in the middle and near the surface of the current. Rivers flow from springs and lakes; tears flow from the eyes.

2. To melt; to become liquid.

That the mountains might flow down at they presence.

Isaiah 64:1.

3. To proceed; to issue. Evils flow from different sources. Wealth flows from industry and economy. All our blessings flow from divine bounty

4. To abound; to have in abundance.

In that day the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk. Joel 3:18.

5. To be full; to be copious; as flowing cups or goblets.

6. To glide along smoothly, without harshness or asperity; as a flowing period; flowing numbers.

7. To be smooth, as composition or utterance. The orator has a flowing tongue.

Virgil is sweet and flowing in his hexameters.

8. To hang loose and waving; as a flowing mantle; flowing locks.

The imperial purple flowing in his train.

9. To rise, as the tide; opposed to ebb. The tide flows twice in twenty four hours.

10. To move in the arteries and veins of the body; to circulate, as blood.

11. To issue, as rays or beams of light.

Light flows from the sun.

12. To move in a stream, as air.

FLOW, verb transitive To cover with water; to overflow; to inundate. The low grounds along the river are annually flowed.

FLOW, noun

1. A stream of water or other fluid; a current; as a flow of water; a flow of blood.

2. A current of water with a swell or rise; as the flow and ebb of tides.

3. A stream of any thing; as a flow of wealth into the country.

4. Abundance; copiousness with action; as a flow of spirits.

5. A stream of diction, denoting abundance of words at command and facility of speaking; volubility.

6. Free expression or communication of generous feelings and sentiments.

The feast of reason, and the flow of soul.

FLOWED, participle passive Overflowed; inundated.

FLOW'ER, noun [Latin flos, floris, a flower; floreo, to blossom. See Flourish.]

1. In botany, that part of a plant which contains the organs of fructification, with their coverings. A flower when complete, consists of a calyx, corol, stamen and pistil; but the essential parts are the anther and stigma, which are sufficient to constitute a flower either together in hermaphrodite flowers, or separate in male and female flowers.

2. In vulgar acceptation, a blossom or flower is the flower bud of a plant, when the petals are expanded; open petals being considered as the principal thing in constituting a flower But in botany, the petals are now considered as a finer sort of covering, and not at all necessary to constitute a flower

3. The early part of life, or rather of manhood; the prime; youthful vigor; youth; as the flower of age or of life.

4. The best or finest part of a thing; the most valuable part. The most active and vigorous part of an army are called the flower of the troops. Young, vigorous and brave men are called the flower of a nation.

5. The finest part; the essence.

The choice and flower of all things profitable the Psalms do more briefly contain.

6. He or that which is most distinguished for any thing valuable. We say, the youth are the flower of the country.

7. The finest part of grain pulverized. In this sense, it is now always written flour, which see.

1. Flowers, in chimistry, fine particles of bodies, especially when raised by fire in sublimation, and adhering to the heads of vessels in the form of a powder or mealy substance; as the flowers of sulphur.

A substance, somewhat similar, formed spontaneously, is called efforescence.

2. In rhetoric, figures and ornaments of discourse or composition.

3. Menstrual discharges.

FLOW'ER, verb intransitive [from the noun. The corresponding word in Latin is floreo.]

1. To blossom; to bloom; to expand the petals, as a plant. In New England peach trees usually flower in April, and apple trees in May.

2. To be in the prime and spring of life; to flourish; to be youthful, fresh and vigorous.

When flowered my youthful spring.

3. To froth; to ferment gently; to mantle, as new beer.

The beer did flower a little.

4. To come as cream from the surface.

FLOW'ER, verb transitive To embellish with figures of flowers; to adorn with imitated flowers.

FLOW'ER-DE-LIS, noun

1. In heraldry, a bearing representing a lily, the hieroglyphic of royal majesty.

2. In botany, the Iris, a genus of monogynian trianders, called also flag-flower, and often written incorrectly flower-de-luce. The species are numerous.

FLOW'ERED, participle passive Embellished with figures of flowers.

FLOW'ERET, noun A small flower; a floret.

[In botany, floret is solely used.]

FLOW'ER-FENCE, noun The name of certain plants. The flower-fence of Barbados is of the genus Poinciana. The bastard flower-fence is the Adenanthera.

FLOW'ER-G'ARDEN, noun A garden in which flowers are chiefly cultivated.

FLOW'ER-GENTLE, noun A plant, the amaranth.

FLOW'ERINESS, noun [from flowery.]

1. The state of being flowery, or of abounding with flowers.

2. Floridness of speech; abundance of figures.

FLOW'ERING, participle present tense

1. Blossoming; blooming; expanding the petals, as plants.

2. Adorning with artificial flowers, or figures of blossoms.

FLOW'ERING, noun

1. The season when plants blossom.

2. The act of adorning with flowers.

FLOWER-INWO'VEN, adjective Adorned with flowers.

FLOW'ER-KIRTLED, adjective Dressed with garlands of flowers.

FLOW'ERLESS, adjective Having no flower.

Very few species of flowers are mentioned in the Bible although they abounded in Palestine. It has been calculated that in Western Syria and Palestine from two thousand to two thousand five hundred plants are found, of which about five hundred probably are British wild-flowers. Their beauty is often alluded to (Song of Solomon 2:12; Matthew 6:28). They are referred to as affording an emblem of the transitory nature of human life (Job 14:2; Psalms 103:15; Isaiah 28:1; 40:6; James 1:10). Gardens containing flowers and fragrant herbs are spoken of (Song of Solomon 4:16; 6:2).

See Botany
Botany

FLOW'ER-STALK, noun In botany, the peduncle of a plant, or the stem that supports the flower or fructification.

FLOW'ERY, adjective

1. Full of flowers; abounding with blossoms; as a flowery field.

2. Adorned with artificial flowers, or the figures of blossoms.

3. Richly embellished with figurative language; florid; as a flowery style.

FLOWING, participle present tense Moving as a fluid; issuing; proceeding; abounding; smooth, as style; inundating.

FLOWING, noun The act of running or moving as a fluid; an issuing; an overflowing; rise of water.

FLOWINGLY, adverb With volubility; with abundance.

FLOWINGNESS, noun Smoothness of diction; stream of diction.

FLOWK,

FLOWN, had fled, in the following phrases, is not good English.

Was reason flown.

Sons of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.

In the former passage, flown is used as the participle of fly or flee, both intransitive verbs, and the phrase should have been, had reason flown or fled. In the latter passage, flown is used for blown, inflated, but most improperly. Flown is the participle of the perfect or past tense of fly, but cannot regularly be used in a passive sense.