nachströmt

Nachströmt is the third-person singular present tense form of the German verb nachströmen, meaning to flow in after or to provide a secondary inflow following the initial flow. The term is used to describe situations in which a fluid, gas, or other mobile substance continues to move into a system after the primary influx has begun or ended.

Etymology and grammar: The verb is formed from nach- (after) and strömen (to stream). It is a separable prefix verb; in main clauses the prefix is separated: das Wasser strömt nach. The past participle is nachgestromt. This reflects typical German word-formation for verbs with the nach- prefix.

Usage and contexts: The term is primarily used in technical or descriptive prose about fluids, hydraulics, hydrology, and meteorology. It describes a secondary inflow that follows the main discharge. Example: After a storm, a river may show a Nachströmung from smaller tributaries, which raises the water level even after the main inflow has subsided. In engineering reports the concept helps distinguish the initial flood from subsequent inflows.

Noun form: The corresponding noun is Nachströmung, referring to the post-flow inflow itself.

See also: Strömung, Zufluss, Abfluss, Rückfluss.