Effluent
/ˈɛf.lu.ənt/noun
Flowing out; especially referring to liquid waste discharged into a river or other body of water.
Did you know?Effluent comes from Latin *effluere*, “to flow out,” and shares the same *fluere* root as words tied to motion, liquidity, and even social “influence” in medieval Latin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pleu-
“to flow, float”
Latin
Latin
fluere
“to flow”
Latin
Latin
effluere
“to flow out, stream forth”
Late Latin
Latin
effluentem
“flowing out”
14th Century
English
effluant
“flowing out”
Modern English
English
effluent
“flowing out; wastewater discharged into the environment”