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Original · left

Stream (water)

A small, narrow river.

First in use: ancient / pre-modern
Duplicate · right

Streaming media

Delivering audio or video over the internet for playback as it arrives.

First in use: the 1990s

Stream / Stream (water) / Streaming media

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Colour keyGrey · original meaningGreen · duplicate meaningAmber · contested (40–60%)How colours work

Creeks vs. Netflix.

Which meaning of Stream is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Stream (water) came first (ancient / pre-modern). Streaming media arrived in the 1990s. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Stream (water)Streaming media
English Wikipedia pageviews since July 2015 load here.

Duplicate's share of attention

Green line = duplicate's % · above 60 it owns the word · below 40 the original does

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The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · ancient / pre-modern

Stream (water)

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Duplicate · the 1990s

Streaming media

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More duplicated terms

Film, TV & media