liquid discharged as waste, as from an industrial plant or sewage works radioactive waste released from a nuclear power station a stream that flows out of another body of water something that flows out or forth
flowing out or forth
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
ef•fluent
(ef′lo̅o̅ ənt),USA pronunciation adj.
n.
- flowing out or forth.
n.
- something that flows out or forth;
outflow;
effluence. - a stream flowing out of a lake, reservoir, etc.
- Building, Civil Engineeringsewage that has been treated in a septic tank or sewage treatment plant.
- Civil Engineeringsewage or other liquid waste that is discharged into a body of water, etc.
- Latin effluent- (stem of effluēns flowing out, present participle of effluere), equivalent. to ef- ef- + flu- flow + -ent- -ent
- 1720–30
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::