fluid

[floo-id] /ˈflu ɪd/
noun
1.
a substance, as a liquid or gas, that is capable of flowing and that changes its shape at a steady rate when acted upon by a force tending to change its shape.
adjective
2.
pertaining to a substance that easily changes its shape; capable of flowing.
3.
consisting of or pertaining to fluids.
4.
changing readily; shifting; not fixed, stable, or rigid:
fluid movements.
5.
convertible into cash:
fluid assets.
Origin
1595-1605; < Latin fluidus, equivalent to flu(ere) to flow + -idus -id4
Related forms
fluidal, adjective
fluidly, fluidally, adverb
fluidness, noun
nonfluid, noun
nonfluidly, adverb
unfluid, adjective
Can be confused
fluid, gas, liquid (see synonym study at liquid)
Synonyms
2. See liquid.
Examples from the web for fluids
  • They get much of their fluids from the blood of prey.
  • These molecules react with substances in bodily fluids.
  • Others suckle your scalp to extract your bodily fluids for sustenance.
  • Here are some of the weird and beautiful ways in which fluids flow.
  • Since cholera kills by driving fluids from the body, the treatment is to pump liquid back in, as fast as possible.
  • Children given fluids more slowly did better-though why is still a mystery.
  • Microbes, for example, have developed successful methods to manoeuvre within bodily fluids.
  • The disease is fairly easy to halt with simple rehydration fluids.
  • While racing cars are probably about as complicated as sail boats, boats move through not one, but two fluids.
  • Cholera is now remarkably easy to treat: the key is to quickly provide victims with large amounts of fluids and electrolytes.
British Dictionary definitions for fluids

fluid

/ˈfluːɪd/
noun
1.
a substance, such as a liquid or gas, that can flow, has no fixed shape, and offers little resistance to an external stress
adjective
2.
capable of flowing and easily changing shape
3.
of, concerned with, or using a fluid or fluids
4.
constantly changing or apt to change
5.
smooth in shape or movement; flowing
Derived Forms
fluidal, adjective
fluidness, noun
fluidly, fluidally, adverb
Word Origin
C15: from Latin fluidus, from fluere to flow
Word Origin and History for fluids

fluid

adj.

early 15c., from Middle French fluide (14c.) and directly from Latin fluidus "fluid, flowing, moist," from fluere "to flow" (see fluent). Figurative use from 1640s. Related: Fluidly.

n.

1660s, from fluid (adj.).

fluids in Medicine

fluid flu·id (flōō'ĭd)
n.
An amorphous substance whose molecules move freely past one another; a liquid or gas. adj.
Of or characteristic of a fluid.

flu·id'i·ty (-ĭd'ĭ-tē) or flu'id·ness n.
fluids in Science
fluid
(fl'ĭd)
A state of matter, such as liquid or gas, in which the component particles (generally molecules) can move past one another. Fluids flow easily and conform to the shape of their containers. See also state of matter, viscosity.

fluids in Culture

fluid definition


In physics, a substance that flows — usually a liquid or a gas.

Slang definitions & phrases for fluids

fluid

Related Terms

embalming fluid