reflux

American  

[ree-fluhks] / ˈriˌflʌks /

noun

1. a flowing back; ebb.

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reflux British  

/ ˈriːflʌks /

verb

1. chem to boil or be boiled in a vessel attached to a condenser, so that the vapour condenses and flows back into the vessel

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noun

1. chem

   1. an act of refluxing

   2. ( as modifier )

      a reflux condenser

2. the act or an instance of flowing back; ebb

Etymology

Origin of reflux

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word refluxus. See re-, flux

Explanation

Use the noun reflux to talk about a medical condition that gives you an acidic taste in your mouth and a burning feeling in your chest. If a patient suffers from reflux, his stomach and esophagus aren't working quite right — they're allowing acid to flow backwards, which results in discomfort and nausea. There are various ailments that can be defined as reflux, including indigestion and heartburn, as well as conditions that affect babies who have trouble swallowing. Another kind of reflux is the tide's ebb, or outward flow. This is the oldest meaning of the word, which comes from the Latin fluxus, "a flowing."

Example Sentences

Between 40 and 70 percent of patients on these drugs report gastrointestinal adverse effects, like acid reflux, chronic diarrhea, and/or constipation.

From Slate • Mar. 22, 2026

Cowell deemed this acid reflux extravaganza to be “small.”

From Salon • May 31, 2025

Doctors largely agree on a core group of risk factors, including chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease, smoking and carrying extra pounds in the abdomen.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2024

Stormi has had to be readmitted to hospital twice since her birth four weeks ago with an eye infection and reflux.

From BBC • Aug. 13, 2024

Strange fact, though not the less real, the ocean, in the vast terrestrial journey round the sun, becomes, with its flux and reflux, the balance of the globe.

From Toilers of the Sea by Hugo, Victor