flow
n. C / Un. the smooth, steady movement of a liquid, gas, or electricity. It can also describe how easily information or ideas move from one place to another.
n. the continuous movement of a substance or data in a single direction. In psychological contexts, it refers to a state of deep immersion and focused energy in an activity.
The flow of the river is very strong today.
The manager redesigned the office layout to improve the flow of communication between the different departments.
Achieving a state of flow during creative work often requires a delicate balance between the difficulty of the task and the individual's current skill level.
From Middle English flowe, from the verb (see below). The psychology sense “state of focus” was coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1975.
From Middle English flowen, from Old English flōwan (“to flow”), from Proto-West Germanic flōan, from Proto-Germanic flōaną (“to flow”), from Proto-Indo-European plōw-, lengthened o-grade form of plew- (“to fly, flow, run”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian flouje (“to flow”), West Frisian floeie (“to flow”), Dutch vloeien (“to flow”), Norwegian flo (“to flow”). Compare also English float. Not cognate with Latin fluō despite similarity.
Uncertain. Perhaps from Old Norse flói (“a large bay, firth”), see floe. Compare Scots flow (“peat-bog, marsh”), Icelandic flói (“marshy ground”).