• (RP) IPA: /ˈtɒɹ.ənt/
• (America) IPA: /ˈtɔɹ.ənt/
• (NYC) IPA: /ˈtɑɹ.ənt/

torrent (plural torrents)

1. A violent flow, as of water, lava, etc.; a stream suddenly raised and running rapidly, as down a precipice.

   • The roaring torrent is deep and wide.

   Rain fell on the hills in torrents.
   A torrent of green and white water broke over the hull of the sail-boat.
2. (figurative) A large amount or stream of something.

   They endured a torrent of inquiries.

• torrid
• toast

• French: torrent
• German: Strom, Schwall, Sturzflut
• Portuguese: torrente
• Russian: пото́к
• Spanish: torrente

torrent

1. Rolling or rushing in a rapid stream.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book 2”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: Printed [by Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […] [a]nd by Robert Boulter […] [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], OCLC 228722708 ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: The Text Exactly Reproduced from the First Edition of 1667: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554 ↗:

     Waves of torrent fire.

torrent (plural torrents)

1. (Internet, file sharing) 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.

• Russian: то́ррент

torrent (torrents, present participle torrenting; past and past participle torrented)

1. (internet slang, transitive) To download in a torrent.

   The video rental place didn't have the film I was after, but I managed to torrent it.