downstream

adverb or adjective down·stream \ˈdau̇n-ˈstrēm\

: in the direction in which a stream, river, etc., flows

Full Definition of DOWNSTREAM

: in the direction of or nearer to the mouth of a stream

: in or toward the latter stages of a usually industrial process or the stages (as marketing) after manufacture

See downstream defined for English-language learners

See downstream defined for kids

First Known Use of DOWNSTREAM

1706

Rhymes with DOWNSTREAM

abeam, agleam, airstream, berseem, beseem, bireme, blaspheme, bloodstream, centime, coal seam, cold cream, crossbeam, daydream, dream team, drill team, egg cream, esteem, extreme, French seam, grapheme, Gulf Stream, hakim, headstream, high beam, hornbeam, I beam, ice cream, inseam, jet stream, kilim, lexeme, live steam, low beam, mainstream, midstream, millime, millstream, moonbeam, morpheme, onstream, phoneme, pipe dream, redeem, regime, rhyme scheme, sealed-beam, sememe, sidestream, slipstream, sour cream, sunbeam, supreme, tag team, Tarim, third-stream, toneme, trireme, unseam, upstream, warp beam, wet dream

DOWNSTREAM Defined for Kids

downstream

adverb down·stream \ˈdau̇n-ˈstrēm\

Definition of DOWNSTREAM for Kids

: in the direction a stream is flowing <paddling downstream>

Medical Dictionary

downstream

adverb or adjective down·stream \ˌdau̇n-ˈstrēm\

Medical Definition of DOWNSTREAM

: in the same direction along a molecule of DNA or RNA as that in which transcription and translation take place and toward the end having a hydroxyl group attached to the position labeled 3′ in the terminal nucleotide <a nucleotide sequence located downstream from the regulatory gene> <effects on the expression of downstream genes>—compare upstream