Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FLUC-TU-A'TION, n. [L. fluctuatio.]

1. A motion like that of waves; a moving in this and that direction; as, the fluctuations of the sea.
2. A wavering; unsteadiness; as, fluctuations of opinion.
3. A rising and falling suddenly; as, fluctuations of prices or of the funds.

FLUD'ER, or FLUD'DER, n.

An aquatic fowl of the diver kind, nearly as large as a goose. Dict. of Nat. Hist.

FLUE, n. [probably contracted from flume, L. flumen, from fluo.]

A passage for smoke in a chimney, leading from the fireplace to the top of the chimney, or into another passage; as, a chimney with four flues.

FLUE, n. [G. flaum; L. pluma.]

Soft down or fur; very fine hair. [Local.] Tooke.

FLU-EL'LEN, n.

The Speedwell, a plant of the genus Antirrhinum, or snapdragon.

FLU'ENCE, n. [for Fluency, is not used.]

FLU'EN-CY, n. [L. fluens, from fluo, to flow.]

1. The quality of flowing, applied to speech or language; smoothness; freedom from harshness; as, fluency of numbers.
2. Readiness of utterance; facility of words; volubility; as, fluency of speech; a speaker of remarkable fluency.
3. Affluence; abundance. [Obs.] Sandys.

FLU'ENT, a. [See Fluency.]

1. Liquid; flowing. Bacon.
2. Flowing; passing. Motion being a fluent thing. Ray.
3. Ready in the use of words; voluble; copious; having words at command and uttering them with facility and smoothness; as, a fluent speaker.
4. Flowing; voluble; smooth; as, fluent speech.

FLU'ENT, n.

1. A stream; a current of water. [Little used.] Philips.
2. The variable or flowing quantity in fluxions. Berkeley.

FLU'ENT-LY, adv.

With ready flow; volubly; without hesitation or obstruction; as, to speak fluently.

FLU'GEL-MAN, n. [G. from flügel, a wing.]

In German, the leader of a file. But with us, a soldier who stands on the wing of a body of men, and marks time for the motions.

FLU'ID, a. [L. fluidus, from fluo, to flow.]

Having parts which easily move and change their relative position without separation, and which easily yield to pressure; that may flow; liquid. Water, spirit, air, are fluid substances. All bodies may be rendered fluid by heat or caloric.

FLU'ID, n.

Any substance whose parts easily move and change their relative position without separation, and which yields to the slightest pressure; a substance which flows, or which moves spontaneously on a plane with the least inclination; a liquid; liquor; opposed to a solid. Water, blood, chyle, are fluids.

FLU-ID'I-TY, n.

The quality of being capable of flowing; that quality of bodies which renders them impressible to the slightest force, and by which the parts easily move or change their relative position without a separation of the mass; a liquid state; opposed to solidity. Fluidity is the effect of heat.

FLU'ID-NESS, n.

The state of being fluid; fluidity – which see.

FLUKE, n. [supposed to be D. ploeg, G. pflug, a plow.]

The part of an anchor which fastens in the ground.

FLUKE, or FLOWK, n.

A flounder.

FLUKE-WORM, n.

The gourd-worm, a species of Fasciola.

FLUME, n. [Sax. flum, a stream; L. flumen, from fluo, to flow.]

Literally, a flowing; hence, the passage or channel for the water that drives a mill-wheel.

FLUM'MER-Y, n. [W. llymry, from llymyr, harsh, raw, crude, from llym, sharp, severe. In Welsh, a kind of food made of oatmeal steeped in water, until it has turned sour. See Lumber.]

1. A sort of jelly made of flour or meal; pap. Milk and flummery are very fit for children. Locke.
2. In vulgar use, any thing insipid or nothing to the purpose; flattery.

FLUNG, pp. [and pret. of Fling.]

Several statues the Romans themselves flung into the river. Addison.

FLU-O-BO'RATE, n.

A compound of fluoboric acid with a base.

FLU-O-BOR'IC, a.

The fluoboric acid or gas is a compound of fluorine and boron. Davy.

FLU'OR, n. [Low L. from fluo, to flow.]

1. A fluid state. Newton.
2. Menstrual flux. [Little used in either sense.]
3. In mineralogy, fluorid of calcium, usually called fluor-spar. It commonly occurs massive; but crystalizes in octahedrons, which are frequently changed into cubes. It is a mineral of beautiful colors, and much used for ornamental vessels. This is the material of which the original myrrhine vessels of the ancients were made.

FLU-OR'IC, a.

Pertaining to fluor; obtained from fluor.