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flood (flŭd)
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n.
1. An overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry.
2. A flood tide.
3. A large amount or number, especially when moving from one place to another: received a flood of applications. See Synonyms at flow.
4. A floodlight, specifically a unit that produces a beam of intense light.
5. Flood In the Bible, the covering of the earth with water that occurred during the time of Noah.
v. flood·ed, flood·ing, floods
v.tr.
1. To cover or submerge with water; inundate: The town was flooded when the dam burst.
2. To move into or fill in large numbers or amounts: People flooded the square. His inbox was flooded with mail.
3. To overwhelm in large numbers: The theater was flooded with ticket requests.
4. To put too much fuel into the carburetor of (an engine), resulting in unsuccessful ignition.
v.intr.
1. To become inundated or submerged: The underpass floods after a heavy rain.
2. To pour forth; overflow: The river floods nearly every spring.

[Middle English flod, from Old English flōd; see pleu- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.