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Synonyms

streamline

American  
[streem-lahyn] / ˈstrimˌlaɪn /

noun

  1. a teardrop line of contour offering the least possible resistance to a current of air, water, etc.

  2. the path of a particle that is flowing steadily and without turbulence in a fluid past an object.

verb (used with object)

streamlined, streamlining

  1. to make streamlined.

  2. to alter in order to make more efficient or simple.

adjective

  1. streamlined.

streamline British  
/ ˈstriːmˌlaɪn /

noun

  1. a contour on a body that offers the minimum resistance to a gas or liquid flowing around it

  2. an imaginary line in a fluid such that the tangent at any point indicates the direction of the velocity of a particle of the fluid at that point

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to make streamlined

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
streamline Scientific  
/ strēm′līn′ /

  1. To construct or reconstruct an object to reduce the amount of drag it undergoes as it moves through a fluid, especially air or water.

streamline Cultural  

  1. The line traced by a liquid or gas as it moves. Streamlines are most commonly used in describing the flow of a liquid or gas around a solid object.

Discover More

A “streamlined” design is one in which objects that move through a gas or liquid are shaped to match these lines, and therefore reduce the energy required to produce that motion.

Etymology

Origin of streamline

First recorded in 1870–75; stream + line 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But delays to the Starship rocket have led Nasa to ask SpaceX for a new streamlined plan to speed a return to the Moon.

From BBC

The company has been trying to get more serious about profitability for several years, including streamlining organizational structures and focusing more on respected financial metrics.

From MarketWatch

The proposed regulation would apply a streamlined “economic-reality” test to determine whether a worker is economically dependent on an employer for work.

From The Wall Street Journal

The tool is "designed to streamline restaurant operations" to let managers and staff "focus more on guest service and team leadership", Restaurant Brands International, the chain's parents company, said in a statement on Thursday.

From BBC

The layoffs are “designed to streamline our organization so we can operate with greater efficiency and deliver on our commitments to gross margin improvement and long-term growth,” Lucid said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.