Upflows

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Rising movements or currents, especially of air or liquid, that flow upward; increases or improvements in trends or conditions; the process of moving to a higher position or level
2. An upward movement of gases, liquids, or other substances; positive progressions or developments in various contexts; the act of ascending or moving higher
3. The act or instance of flowing upwards in fluids or atmospheres; upward shifts or gains in performance or status; the flow or rise towards an elevated position

Etymology: "Upflows" is the plural of "upflow," which is the noun form (the third-person singular verb form is "upflows," but the word is being given here as a noun, so the plural of the noun is what the reader sees). The noun is built from "up" and "flow," two plain English words set side by side, with no Latin or Greek machinery behind it. "Flow" itself goes back to Old English "flōwan," so the new compound inherits a very old and ordinary verb, while "up" is one of the oldest words in the language. The construction is a straightforward one. English readily joins a directional particle to a verb of motion to name the movement in a particular direction, as with "upcast," "upthrust," or "uprush." The compound "upflow" thus describes a flow directed upward, whether of water rising through soil, air moving up a chimney, or heat climbing away from a surface. Because the parts are transparent, the word needs little explanation; its meaning follows directly from the two halves.

Synonyms: updrafts, rising currents

Antonyms: downflows, downdrafts