Streaming applies the ancient metaphor of flowing water (from Old English strēam, PIE *sreu-) to continuous digital data transmission — the latest extension of one of English's oldest metaphors.
The continuous transmission of audio or video data over the internet for immediate playback.
From the Old English stream (a flowing body of water), from Proto-Germanic *straumaz, from PIE root *sreu- (to flow). The metaphor of data flowing like water was applied to continuous digital transmission in the 1990s, contrasting with 'downloading,' where the entire file must arrive before playback. The word stream has been metaphorically extended throughout its history — stream of consciousness
The word mainstream uses the same water metaphor: the main stream is the dominant current, and joining the mainstream means flowing with the majority. Stream of consciousness, coined by William James in 1890, applied the water metaphor to thought. Digital streaming is the latest in a long line