refluent

American  

[ref-loo-uhnt, ruh-floo-] / ˈrɛf lu ənt, rəˈflu- /

adjective

1. flowing back; ebbing, as the waters of a tide.

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refluent British  

/ ˈrɛflʊənt /

adjective

1. rare flowing back; ebbing

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Other Word Forms

• refluence noun

Etymology

Origin of refluent

1690–1700; < Latin refluent- (stem of refluēns ), present participle of refluere to flow back. See re-, fluent

Example Sentences

Following the pinnace the ship moved in so rapidly under a freshening breeze that she passed the pinnace, the unfortunate men on board finding it impossible to effect an entrance and being borne by the refluent current into the mad surge where ocean tide and outflowing river met in foamy strife.

From Project Gutenberg

There feeling the tremendous refluent wave, she went careening over and over toward the sunken reef.

From Project Gutenberg

By some unexplored tidal law, parties would seem to move through successive ebb and flow toward a final culmination of mischievous extreme, each refluent wave returning with heavier mass, until the accumulated weight of madness and folly overtopples, breaks, and dissolves in noisy foam.

From Project Gutenberg

They mark the steadiness with which through century after century, in spite of refluent waves, the tide of mercy rises, and still rises on the shores of earth.

From Project Gutenberg

Little sprites they seemed as they chased the refluent wave for their food, sometimes overtaken and borne off their feet by the glancing surf.

From Project Gutenberg