flood

noun

• 1an overflow of a large amount of water beyond its normal limits, especially over what is normally dry land:the villagers had been cut off by floods and landslides [as modifier]:a flood barrier
• (the Flood) the biblical flood brought by God upon the earth because of the wickedness of the human race (Gen. 6 ff.).
• the inflow of the tide.
• literary a river, stream, or sea.

• 2an outpouring of tears:she burst into floods of tears
• an overwhelming quantity of things or people happening or appearing at the same time:his column provoked a flood of complaints floods of tourists come each year to marvel at the sights

• 3short for floodlight.

verb

• 1cover or submerge (an area) with water in a flood:the dam burst, flooding a small town (as noun flooding)a serious risk of flooding
• [no object] become covered or submerged by a flood:part of the vessel flooded figurativeSarah’s eyes flooded with tears
• (usually be flooded out) (of a flood) force (someone) to leave their home.
• (of a river) become swollen and overflow (its banks).

• 2fill or suffuse completely:she flooded the room with light [no object, with adverbial of direction]:sunlight flooded in at the windows
• overfill the carburettor of (an engine) with petrol, causing the engine to fail to start.

• 3 [no object, with adverbial of direction] arrive in overwhelming amounts or quantities:congratulatory messages flooded in figurativehis old fears came flooding back
• [with object] overwhelm with large amounts or quantities:our switchboard was flooded with calls

• 4 [no object] (of a woman) experience a uterine haemorrhage.