Effluent
adj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A stream that flows out, such as from a lake or reservoir; an outflow; effluence. countable
"The landscape was dotted with reservoirs and many many effluent streams."
- 2 water mixed with waste matter wordnet
- 3 Sewage or waste water discharged into a natural body of water. uncountable
"Residents have little control over the industrial effluent that pollutes their rivers."
- 1 Flowing out; outflowing. not-comparable
"But while the effluent beams of the sun, and their quickening power in the natural sphere, furnish a good illustration of my idea of the Holy Spirit, I may, perhaps, illustrate the idea still better by a reference to human thoughts and affections […]"
- 1 that is flowing outward wordnet
Example
More examples"The primary culprits in eutrophication appear to be excess nitrogen and phosphorus—from sources including fertilizer runoff and septic system effluent to atmospheric fallout from burning fossil fuels—which enter waterbodies and fuel the overgrowth of algae, which, in turn, reduces water quality and degrades estuarine and coastal ecosystems."
Etymology
From French effluent, from Latin effluens, effluentis. By surface analysis, e- + fluent.
More for "effluent"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.