fluid

American  

[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.

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adjective

1. pertaining to a substance that easily changes its shape; capable of flowing.

2. consisting of or pertaining to fluids.

3. changing readily; shifting; not fixed, stable, or rigid.

   fluid movements.

4. convertible into cash.

   fluid assets.

fluid British  

/ 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

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adjective

1. capable of flowing and easily changing shape

2. of, concerned with, or using a fluid or fluids

3. constantly changing or apt to change

4. smooth in shape or movement; flowing

fluid Scientific  

/ flo̅o̅′ĭd /

1. 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.

2. See also state of matter viscosity

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fluid Cultural  

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

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Related Words

See liquid.

Other Word Forms

• fluidal adjective
• fluidally adverb
• fluidly adverb
• fluidness noun
• nonfluid noun
• nonfluidly adverb
• unfluid adjective

Etymology

Origin of fluid

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin fluidus, equivalent to flu(ere) “to flow” + -idus adjective suffix; -id ⁴

Example Sentences

To test how the material behaves in the body, the scientists placed the nanocomposites in simulated body fluid.

From Science Daily

Brazilian state oil company Petrobras said Tuesday that a "fluid leak" had forced it to halt drilling off the coast of the Amazon region.

From Barron's

Many of the cancelled flights were operated by Dutch airline KLM, which warned it had nearly run out of de-icing fluid for its aircraft.

From BBC

As those ions move, they drag nearby water molecules with them, effectively creating motion in the fluid around the robot.

From Science Daily

“While conditions remain fluid and uncertainty elevated, we currently expect these developments to have a constructive impact on our portfolios,” Jared Lou, portfolio manager for the William Blair Emerging Markets Debt Fund, told Barron’s.

From Barron's

Related Words

• flexible
• shifting
• unsettled
• unstable