Stream vs. Channel — What's the Difference?

A stream is a body of water with surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. The flow of a stream is controlled by three inputs – surface water, subsurface water and groundwater.

A length of water wider than a strait, joining two larger areas of water, especially two seas.

A small, narrow river

A band of frequencies used in radio and television transmission, especially as used by a particular station.

A continuous flow of liquid, air, or gas

A method or system for communication or distribution

A continuous flow of data or instructions, typically one having a constant or predictable rate.

An electric circuit which acts as a path for a signal

A group in which schoolchildren of the same age and ability are taught.

A tubular passage or duct for liquid

(of liquid, air, gas, etc.) run or flow in a continuous current in a specified direction

Direct towards a particular end or object

Transmit or receive (data, especially video and audio material) over the Internet as a steady, continuous flow.

Form channels or grooves in

Put (schoolchildren) in groups of the same age and ability to be taught together.

The bed of a stream or river.

A flow of water in a channel or bed, as a brook, rivulet, or small river.

The deeper part of a river or harbor, especially a deep navigable passage.

A steady current in such a flow of water.

A broad strait, especially one that connects two seas.

A steady current of a fluid.

A trench, furrow, or groove.

A large amount or number moving or occurring in steady succession

A tubular passage for liquids; a conduit.

A trend, course, or drift, as of opinion, thought, or history.

A course or pathway through which information is transmitted

A beam or ray of light.

Often channels A route of communication or access

Chiefly British A course of study to which students are tracked.

In communications theory, a gesture, action, sound, written or spoken word, or visual image used in transmitting information.

(Computers) A steady flow of data.

(Electronics) A specified frequency band for the transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals, as for television signals.

To flow in a stream or current.

A continuous program of audio or video content distributed by a television, radio, or internet broadcaster.

To pour forth or give off a stream; flow

A company or other entity presenting such content.

To move or arrive in large numbers; pour

(Computers) A chatroom on an online network.

To extend, wave, or float outward

The medium through which a spirit guide purportedly communicates with the physical world.

To leave a continuous trail of light.

A rolled metal bar with a bracket-shaped section.

To give forth a continuous stream of light rays or beams; shine.

See ion channel.

To emit, discharge, or exude (a body fluid, for example).

See protein channel.

(Computers) To transmit or receive (audio or video content), especially over the internet, in small, sequential packets that permit the content to be played continuously as it is being received and without saving it to a hard disk.

A wood or steel ledge projecting from a sailing ship's sides to spread the shrouds and keep them clear of the gunwales.

A small river; a large creek; a body of moving water confined by banks.

To make or cut channels in.

A thin connected passing of a liquid through a lighter gas (e.g. air).

To form a groove or flute in.

Any steady flow or succession of material, such as water, air, radio signal or words.

To direct or guide along some desired course

All moving waters.

To serve as a medium for (a spirit guide).

(computing) A source or repository of data that can be read or written only sequentially.

To use or follow as a model; imitate

(figurative) A particular path, channel, division, or way of proceeding.

The physical confine of a river or slough, consisting of a bed and banks.

A division of a school year by perceived ability.

The natural or man-made deeper course through a reef, bar, bay, or any shallow body of water.

A live stream.

The navigable part of a river.

(intransitive) To flow in a continuous or steady manner, like a liquid.

A narrow body of water between two land masses.

(intransitive) To extend; to stretch out with a wavy motion; to float in the wind.

Something through which another thing passes; a means of conveying or transmitting.

(transitive) To discharge in a stream.

A gutter; a groove, as in a fluted column.

(Internet) To push continuous data (e.g. music) from a server to a client computer while it is being used (played) on the client.

A structural member with a cross section shaped like a squared-off letter C.

A current of water or other fluid; a liquid flowing continuously in a line or course, either on the earth, as a river, brook, etc., or from a vessel, reservoir, or fountain; specifically, any course of running water; as, many streams are blended in the Mississippi; gas and steam came from the earth in streams; a stream of molten lead from a furnace; a stream of lava from a volcano.

(electronics) A connection between initiating and terminating nodes of a circuit.

A beam or ray of light.

(electronics) The narrow conducting portion of a MOSFET transistor.

Anything issuing or moving with continued succession of parts; as, a stream of words; a stream of sand.

(communication) The part that connects a data source to a data sink.

A continued current or course; as, a stream of weather.

(communication) A path for conveying electrical or electromagnetic signals, usually distinguished from other parallel paths.

Current; drift; tendency; series of tending or moving causes; as, the stream of opinions or manners.

(communication) A single path provided by a transmission medium via physical separation, such as by multipair cable.

To issue or flow in a stream; to flow freely or in a current, as a fluid or whatever is likened to fluids; as, tears streamed from her eyes.

(communication) A single path provided by a transmission medium via spectral or protocol separation, such as by frequency or time-division multiplexing.

To pour out, or emit, a stream or streams.

(broadcasting) A specific radio frequency or band of frequencies, usually in conjunction with a predetermined letter, number, or codeword, and allocated by international agreement.

To issue in a stream of light; to radiate.

(broadcasting) A specific radio frequency or band of frequencies used for transmitting television.

To extend; to stretch out with a wavy motion; to float in the wind; as, a flag streams in the wind.

(storage) The portion of a storage medium, such as a track or a band, that is accessible to a given reading or writing station or head.

To send forth in a current or stream; to cause to flow; to pour; as, his eyes streamed tears.

The part of a turbine pump where the pressure is built up.

To mark with colors or embroidery in long tracts.

A distribution channel

To unfurl.

(Internet) A particular area for conversations on an IRC network, analogous to a chat room and often dedicated to a specific topic.

A natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

A means of delivering up-to-date Internet content.

Dominant course (suggestive of running water) of successive events or ideas;

A psychic or medium who temporarily takes on the personality of somebody else.

A steady flow (usually from natural causes);

(nautical) The wale of a sailing ship which projects beyond the gunwale and to which the shrouds attach via the chains. One of the flat ledges of heavy plank bolted edgewise to the outside of a vessel, to increase the spread of the shrouds and carry them clear of the bulwarks.

The act of flowing or streaming; continuous progression

(transitive) To make or cut a channel or groove in.

Something that resembles a flowing stream in moving continuously;

(transitive) To direct or guide along a desired course.

To extend, wave or float outward, as if in the wind;

To serve as a medium for.

Exude profusely;

(transitive) To follow as a model, especially in a performance.

Move in large numbers;

The hollow bed where a stream of water runs or may run.

Rain heavily;

The deeper part of a river, harbor, strait, etc., where the main current flows, or which affords the best and safest passage for vessels.

Flow freely and abundantly;

A strait, or narrow sea, between two portions of lands; as, the British Channel.

That through which anything passes; a means of passing, conveying, or transmitting; as, the news was conveyed to us by different channels.

A gutter; a groove, as in a fluted column.

Flat ledges of heavy plank bolted edgewise to the outside of a vessel, to increase the spread of the shrouds and carry them clear of the bulwarks.

Official routes of communication, especially the official means by which information should be transmitted in a bureaucracy; as, to submit a request through channels; you have to go through channels.

A band of electromagnetic wave frequencies that is used for one-way or two-way radio communication; especially, the frequency bands assigned by the FTC for use in television broadcasting, and designated by a specific number; as, channel 2 in New York is owned by CBS.

One of the signals in an electronic device which receives or sends more than one signal simultaneously, as in stereophonic radios, records, or CD players, or in measuring equipment which gathers multiple measurements simultaneously.

An opening in a cell membrane which serves to actively transport or allow passive transport of substances across the membrane; as, an ion channel in a nerve cell.

A path for transmission of signals between devices within a computer or between a computer and an external device; as, a DMA channel.

To form a channel in; to cut or wear a channel or channels in; to groove.

To course through or over, as in a channel.

A path over which electrical signals can pass;

A passage for water (or other fluids) to flow through;

A long narrow furrow cut either by a natural process (such as erosion) or by a tool (as e.g. a groove in a phonograph record)

A deep and relatively narrow body of water (as in a river or a harbor or a strait linking two larger bodies) that allows the best passage for vessels;

(often plural) a means of communication or access;

A bodily passage or tube lined with epithelial cells and conveying a secretion or other substance;

A television station and its programs;

A way of selling a company's product either directly or via distributors;

Transmit or serve as the medium for transmission;

Direct the flow of;

Send from one person or place to another;