Word of the Day

: August 14, 2007

refluent

adjective REH-floo-unt

What It Means

: flowing back

refluent in Context

There are some lakes in Louisiana that appear to be formed by the refluent waters of the Mississippi River.

Did You Know?

"Refluent" was first documented in English during the 15th century, and it can be traced back to the Latin verb "refluere," meaning "to flow back." "Refluere," in turn, was formed from the prefix "re-" and the verb "fluere" ("to flow"). Other "fluere" descendants in English include "confluent" ("flowing together"), "fluent" and "fluid" (both of which share the earliest sense of "flowing easily"), "circumfluent" ("flowing around"), and even "affluent" (which first meant "flowing abundantly"). "Refluent" even has an antonym derived from "fluere" -- "effluent," meaning "flowing out."