The occurrence of a water flow resulting from sudden rain or melting snow.

synonym: spate.

Roget 348: running water.    jet, spirt^†, spurt, squirt, spout, spray, splash, rush, gush, jet d'eau [Fr.]; sluice.    water spout, water fall; cascade, force, foss^†; lin^†, linn^†; ghyll^†, Niagara; cataract, rapids, white water, catadupe^†, cataclysm; debacle, inundation, deluge; chute, washout.    rain, rainfall; serein^†; shower, scud; downpour; driving rain, drenching rain, cloudburst; hyetology^†, hyetography^†; predominance of Aquarius^†, reign of St.    Swithin; mizzle^†, drizzle, stillicidum^†, plash; dropping etc. v.; falling weather; northeaster, hurricane, typhoon.    stream, course, flux, flow, profluence^†; effluence etc. (egress) 295; defluxion^†; flowing etc. v.; current, tide, race, coulee.    spring, artesian well, fount, fountain; rill, rivulet, gill, gullet, rillet^†; streamlet, brooklet; branch [U.S.]; runnel, sike^†, burn, beck, creek, brook, bayou, stream, river; reach, tributary.    geyser, spout, waterspout.    body of water, torrent, rapids, flush, flood, swash; spring tide, high tide, full tide; bore, tidal bore, eagre^†, hygre^†; fresh, freshet; indraught^†, reflux, undercurrent, eddy, vortex, gurge^†, whirlpool, Maelstrom, regurgitation, overflow; confluence, corrivation^†.    wave, billow, surge, swell, ripple; anerythmon gelasma [Gr.]; beach comber, riffle [U.S.], rollers, ground swell, surf, breakers, white horses, whitecaps; rough sea, heavy sea, high seas, cross sea, long sea, short sea, chopping sea.    [Science of fluids in motion] hydrodynamics; hydraulics, hydraulicostatics^†; rain gauge, flowmeter; pegology^†.    irrigation etc. (water) 337; pump; watering pot, watering cart; hydrant, syringe; garden hose, lawn spray; bhisti^†, mussuk^†.    ... show more