flood (floods plural & 3rd person present) (flooding present participle) (flooded past tense & past participle )
1 n-var If there is a flood, a large amount of water covers an area which is usually dry, for example when a river flows over its banks or a pipe bursts.
More than 70 people were killed in the floods, caused when a dam burst..., This is the type of flood dreaded by cavers..., Over 25 people drowned when a schoolbus tried to cross a river and flood waters swept through.
2 verb If something such as a river or a burst pipe floods an area that is usually dry or if the area floods, it becomes covered with water.
The Chicago River flooded the city's underground tunnel system... V n
The kitchen flooded. V
flooded adj
People have been mobilised to build defences and drain flooded land as heavy rains continue to fall.
3 verb If a river floods, it overflows, especially after very heavy rain.
(=overflow)
...the relentless rain that caused twenty rivers to flood... V
Many streams have flooded their banks, making some roads impassable. V n
4 n-count If you say that a floodof people or things arrive somewhere, you are emphasizing that a very large number of them arrive there.
usu N of n (emphasis)
(=tide, torrent)
The administration is trying to stem the flood of refugees out of Haiti and into Florida..., He received a flood of letters from irate constituents.
5 verb If you say that people or things flood into a place, you are emphasizing that they arrive there in large numbers., (emphasis)
(=pour)
Enquiries flooded in from all over the world. V prep/adv
...the refugees flooding out of Kosovo. V prep/adv
6 verb If you flood a place with a particular type of thing, or if a particular type of thing floods a place, the place becomes full of so many of them that it cannot hold or deal with any more.
(=saturate)
...a policy aimed at flooding Europe with exports... V n with n
German cameras at knock-down prices flooded the British market. V n
flooded adj
...the danger of Europe becoming flooded with low-cost agricultural imports.
7 verb If an emotion, feeling, or thought floods you, you suddenly feel it very intensely. If feelings or memories flood back, you suddenly remember them very clearly.
LITERARY A wave of happiness flooded me... V n
Mary Ann was flooded with relief ... be V-ed with n
It was probably the shock which had brought all the memories flooding back. V adv
8 verb If light floods a place or floods into it, it suddenly fills it.
The afternoon light flooded the little rooms... V n
Morning sunshine flooded in through the open curtains. V prep/adv
10 If you say that someone was in floods of tears or in a flood of tears, you are emphasizing that they were crying with great intensity because they were very upset.
floods of tears phrase flood inflects, usu in PHR (emphasis)
They said goodbye in a flood of tears. flood out phrasal verb If people, places, or things are flooded out, the water from a flood makes it impossible for people to stay in that place or to use that thing. Train lines were flooded out... be V-ed P The river flooded them out every few years. V n P
flash flood (flash floods plural )A flash flood is a sudden rush of water over dry land, usually caused by a great deal of rain. n-count
flood plain (flood plains plural ), floodplain A flood plain is a flat area on the edge of a river, where the ground consists of soil, sand, and rock left by the river when it floods. n-count
