flow-through
|flow-through|
🇺🇸
/ˈfloʊˌθruː/
🇬🇧
/ˈfləʊˌθruː/
allowing passage / pass-through
Etymology
'flow-through' originates from Modern English, specifically the words 'flow' and 'through', where 'flow' meant 'a movement of liquid or other substance' and 'through' meant 'from one side to the other'.
'flow' comes from Old English 'flōwan' (also recorded as 'flowan') and from Proto-Germanic *flō-, while 'through' comes from Old English 'þurh' (through) from Proto-Germanic *thurkhaz; the two words were combined in Modern English to form the compound 'flow-through'.
Initially the components referred to literal movement ('to flow' and 'through'). Over time the compound kept the literal sense and extended metaphorically to technical and financial contexts (e.g., pass-through taxation or devices that allow throughput).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a system, device, or arrangement that allows material, data, or financial items to pass through (literal or figurative).
The plant installed a new flow-through to increase throughput of coolant.
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Adjective 1
allowing a liquid, gas, or other substance to pass from one side to the other; permitting flow through.
The lab used a flow-through filter to let the solvent pass but trap particulates.
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Adjective 2
in finance or taxation, describing income, losses, or tax attributes that are passed directly to owners or investors rather than taxed at the entity level (e.g., 'flow-through entity').
They organized the venture as a flow-through company so profits and losses would be reported on shareholders' returns.
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Last updated: 2025/11/01 19:57