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torrent

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torrent¹

  • /ˈtɒɹənt/ UK
  • /ˈtoɹənt/ Canada, US
  • /ˈtɑɹənt/ New York City, Philadelphia
  • /ˈtɔɹənt/ Australia
  • [ˈtɔ̟ɹənt] New Zealand
  • /ˈtɔɾənt/ Scotland
  • /ˈtɒɾənt/ Wales

Rhymes with -ɒɹənt

Where it comes from

Borrowed from French torrent, from Italian torrente, from Latin torrentem, accusative of torrēns (“burning, seething, roaring”), from Latin torrēre (“to parch, scorch”).

noun torrents

  1. A violent flow, as of water, lava, etc.; a stream suddenly raised and running rapidly, as down a precipice. Rain fell on the hills in torrents.
  2. figuratively A large amount or stream of something. They endured a torrent of inquiries.

Similar: cascade, deluge, flood, outpouring · Opposite: dribble, trickle

adjective more torrent · most torrent

  1. Rolling or rushing in a rapid stream. Waves of torrent fire.

verb torrents · torrenting · torrented

  1. intransitive To fall or flow in a torrent; to pour. ... through the inflexible rain, each turn in the track revealed a new cascade, torrenting down the steep cliff of the hill. The weather was too wild for me to get to them. In good weather, they wouldn't exist.

torrent²

  • /ˈtɒɹənt/ UK
  • /ˈtoɹənt/ Canada, US
  • /ˈtɑɹənt/ New York City, Philadelphia
  • /ˈtɔɹənt/ Australia
  • [ˈtɔ̟ɹənt] New Zealand
  • /ˈtɔɾənt/ Scotland
  • /ˈtɒɾənt/ Wales

Rhymes with -ɒɹənt

Where it comes from

From BitTorrent and the file extension it uses for metadata (.torrent); ultimately from etymology 1, carrying the notion of the flow of information.

noun torrents

  1. Internet A set of files obtainable through a peer-to-peer network, especially BitTorrent. I got a torrent of the complete works of Shakespeare the other day; I'm not sure why.

verb torrents · torrenting · torrented

  1. Internet, transitive To download in a torrent. The video rental place didn't have the film I was after, but I managed to torrent it.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: waterspout, flood, deluge, cloudburst, downpour, soaker, violent stream, avalanche, river, tide, stream, cascade, storm, barrage, rain, blaze

noun

Similar: cascade, deluge, flood, outpouring · Opposite: dribble, trickle

Translations

Every language

noun violent flow, as of water etc.

Españoltorrente
中文奔流 bēnliú, 急流 jíliú, 洪流 hóngliú
Portuguêstorrente
Françaistorrent
DeutschStrom, Schwall, Sturzflut
Ελληνικάχείμαρρος cheímarros
Românătorent, puhoi
Русскийпото́к potók

noun file transfers

日本語トレント torento
中文種子 /种子
Portuguêstorrente
Русскийто́ррент tórrent

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Cite this
MLA

"torrent." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/torrent. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

torrent. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/torrent

Chicago

"torrent." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/torrent.

BibTeX
@misc{torrent_2026,
  title = {torrent},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/torrent},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}