noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈstriːmlaɪn/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S T R IY1 M L AY2 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid; equivalent to the path of a specific particle in that flow.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To design and construct the contours of a vehicle etc. so as to offer the least resistance to its flow through a fluid.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To simplify or organize a process in order to increase its efficiency.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To modernize.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
contour economically or efficiently
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: contour
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English stream Proto-Indo-European *līno-der.? Proto-Germanic *līną Proto-Germanic *līnǭ Proto-West Germanic *līnā Old English līne Middle English line English line English streamline From stream + line.
Across languages
Translations
73 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Dutch:
stroomlijn
— line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid
Finnish:
virtaviiva
— line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid
French:
ligne de courant
— line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid
Macedonian:
струјница
(strujnica)
— line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid
Polish:
linia opływowa
— line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid
Portuguese:
linha de corrente
— line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid
Russian:
направле́ние тече́ния
(napravlénije tečénija)
— line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid
Russian:
ли́ния обтека́ния
(línija obtekánija)
— line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid
Russian:
ли́ния пото́ка
(línija potóka)
— line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid
Russian:
ли́ния тече́ния
(línija tečénija)
— line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid
Russian:
ли́ния то́ка
(línija tóka)
— line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid
Spanish:
línea de corriente
— line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid
Vietnamese:
đường dòng
— line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of a fluid
Dutch:
stroomlijn
— meteorology: line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of the wind
Finnish:
virtaviiva
— meteorology: line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of the wind
Macedonian:
струјница
(strujnica)
— meteorology: line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of the wind
Polish:
linia opływowa
— meteorology: line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of the wind
Russian:
ли́ния обтека́ния
(línija obtekánija)
— meteorology: line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of the wind
Russian:
ли́ния возду́шного пото́ка
(línija vozdúšnovo potóka)
— meteorology: line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of the wind
Vietnamese:
đường dòng
— meteorology: line that is tangent to the velocity of flow of the wind
Finnish:
virtaviivaistaa
— to design an object so as to offer least resistance to its flow through a fluid
French:
fuseler
— to design an object so as to offer least resistance to its flow through a fluid
Georgian:
გარსშემოდენილი
(garsšemodenili)
— to design an object so as to offer least resistance to its flow through a fluid
Georgian:
გარსედინი
(garsedini)
— to design an object so as to offer least resistance to its flow through a fluid
Italian:
velocizzare
— to design an object so as to offer least resistance to its flow through a fluid
Polish:
nadawać opływowy kształt
— to design an object so as to offer least resistance to its flow through a fluid
Polish:
nadać opływowy kształt
— to design an object so as to offer least resistance to its flow through a fluid
Russian:
придава́ть обтека́емую фо́рму
(pridavátʹ obtekájemuju fórmu)
— to design an object so as to offer least resistance to its flow through a fluid
Spanish:
fluidodinamizar
— to design an object so as to offer least resistance to its flow through a fluid
Spanish:
aerodinamizar
— to design an object so as to offer least resistance to its flow through a fluid
Spanish:
hidrodinamizar
— to design an object so as to offer least resistance to its flow through a fluid
Yiddish:
אַרומפֿלייצן
(arumfleytsn)
— to design an object so as to offer least resistance to its flow through a fluid
Azerbaijani:
səmərələşdirmək
— to simplify a process
Azerbaijani:
effektivləşdirmək
— to simplify a process
Chinese Mandarin:
精簡 /精简
(jīngjiǎn)
— to simplify a process
Chinese Mandarin:
簡化 /简化
(jiǎnhuà)
— to simplify a process
Finnish:
tehostaa
— to simplify a process
Finnish:
keventää
— to simplify a process
Finnish:
sujuvoittaa
— to simplify a process
French:
rationaliser
— to simplify a process
Italian:
razionalizzare
— to simplify a process
Italian:
snellire
— to simplify a process
Macedonian:
рационализи́ра
(racionalizíra)
— to simplify a process
Polish:
optymalizować
— to simplify a process
Polish:
zoptymalizować
— to simplify a process
Portuguese:
simplificar
— to simplify a process
Portuguese:
racionalizar
— to simplify a process
Portuguese:
otimizar
— to simplify a process
Russian:
рационализи́ровать
(racionalizírovatʹ)
— to simplify a process
Russian:
ускоря́ть
(uskorjátʹ)
— to simplify a process
Serbo-Croatian:
racionalizirati
— to simplify a process
Serbo-Croatian:
optimizirati
— to simplify a process
Spanish:
agilizar
— to simplify a process
Spanish:
eficientar
— to simplify a process
Spanish:
eficientizar
— to simplify a process
Swedish:
rationalisera
— to simplify a process
Vietnamese:
tinh giản
— to simplify a process
Yiddish:
עפֿעקטיווירן
(efektivirn)
— to simplify a process
Yiddish:
פֿאַרפּשוטערן
(farposhetern)
— to simplify a process
Chinese Mandarin:
現代化 /现代化
(xiàndàihuà)
— to modernise
Finnish:
nykyaikaistaa
— to modernise
French:
moderniser
— to modernise
Hungarian:
korszerűsít
— to modernise
Italian:
modernizzare
— to modernise
Italian:
ottimizzare
— to modernise
Macedonian:
осовременува
(osovremenuva)
— to modernise
Polish:
usprawniać
— to modernise
Polish:
usprawnić
— to modernise
Portuguese:
modernizar
— to modernise
Russian:
модернизи́ровать
(modɛrnizírovatʹ)
— to modernise
Vietnamese:
hiện đại hoá
— to modernise
Yiddish:
מאָדערניזירן
(modernizirn)
— to modernise
Yiddish:
ראַציאָנאַליזירן
(ratsyonalizirn)
— to modernise