flood

noun

• 1an overflowing of a large amount of water beyond its normal confines, especially over what is normally dry land:in a thousand miles the flood destroyed every bridge people uprooted by drought or flood [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 or emotion:Rose burst into such a flood of tears and sobs as I had never seen
• a very large quantity of people or things that appear or need to be dealt with:a constant flood of callers

• 3short for floodlight.

verb

• 1 [with object] cover or submerge (a place or area) with water:the dam burst, flooding a small town watching her father flood their backyard skating rink (as noun flooding)a serious risk of flooding
• [no object] become covered or submerged with water:part of the vessel flooded figurativeSarah’s eyes flooded with tears
• (usually be flooded out) drive someone out of their home or business with a flood:most of the families who have been flooded out will receive compensation
• (of a river or sea) become swollen and overflow (its banks):the river flooded its banks [no object]:the river will flood if it gets much worse
• overfill the carburetor of (an engine) with fuel, causing the engine to fail to start.

• 2 [no object] arrive in overwhelming amounts or quantities:congratulatory messages flooded in his old fears came flooding back
• [with object] overwhelm or swamp with large amounts or quantities:our switchboard was flooded with calls
• [with object] fill or suffuse completely:she flooded the room with light