Part 224

Flowing battery (Elec.), a battery which is kept constant by the flowing of the exciting liquid through the cell or cells. Knight. -- Flowing furnace, a furnace from which molten metal, can be drawn, as through a tap hole; a foundry cupola. -- Flowing sheet (Naut.), a sheet when eased off, or loosened to the wind, as when the wind is abaft the beam. Totten.

Flow"ing (?), a. & n. from Flow, v. i. & t.

Flow"ing*ly, adv. In a flowing manner.

Flow"ing*ness, n. Flowing tendency or quality; fluency. [R.] W. Nichols.

Flowk (? or ?), n. (Zoˆl.) See 1st Fluke.

Flown (?), p. p. of Fly; -- often used with the auxiliary verb to be; as, the birds are flown.

Flown, a. Flushed, inflated. [Supposed by some to be a mistake for blown or swoln.] Pope.

Then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.

Milton.

Floxed" silk` (?). See Floss silk, under Floss.

Floyte (?), n. & v. A variant of Flute. [Obs.]

Flu"ate (?), n. [Cf. F. fluate. See Fluor.] (Chem.) A fluoride. [Obs.]

Flu"a*vil (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] (Chem.) A hydrocarbon extracted from gutta-percha, as a yellow, resinous substance; -- called also fluanil.

Flu"can (?), n. (Mining) Soft clayey matter in the vein, or surrounding it. [Written also flookan, flukan, and fluccan.]

Fluc*tif"er*ous (?), a. [L. fluctus wave + -ferous.] Tending to produce waves. Blount.

Fluc*tis"o*nous (?), a. [L. fluctisonus; fluctus wave + sonus sound.] Sounding like waves.

Fluc`tu*a*bil"i*ty (?; 135), n. The capacity or ability to fluctuate. [R.] H. Walpole.

Fluc"tu*ant (?; 135), a. [L. fluctuans, p. pr. of fluctuare. See Fluctuate.] 1. Moving like a wave; wavering; (Med.) showing undulation or fluctuation; as, a fluctuant tumor.

2. Floating on the waves. [Obs.] Bacon.

Fluc"tu*ate (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fluctuated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Fluctuating (?).] [L. fluctuatus, p. p. of fluctuare, to wave, fr. fluctus wave, fr. fluere, fluctum, to flow. See Fluent, and cf. Flotilla.] 1. To move as a wave; to roll hither and thither; to wave; to float backward and forward, as on waves; as, a fluctuating field of air. Blackmore.

2. To move now in one direction and now in another; to be wavering or unsteady; to be irresolute or undetermined; to vacillate.

Syn. -- To waver; vacillate; hesitate; scruple. -- To Fluctuate, Vacillate, Waver. -- Fluctuate is applied both to things and persons and denotes that they move as they are acted upon. The stocks fluctuate; a man fluctuates between conflicting influences. Vacillate and waver are applied to persons to represent them as acting themselves. A man vacillates when he goes backward and forward in his opinions and purposes, without any fixity of mind or principles. A man wavers when he shrinks back or hesitates at the approach of difficulty or danger. One who is fluctuating in his feelings is usually vacillating in resolve, and wavering in execution.

Fluc"tu*ate, v. t. To cause to move as a wave; to put in motion. [R.]

And fluctuate all the still perfume.

Tennyson.

Fluc`tu*a"tion (?), n. [L. fluctuatio; cf. F. fluctuation.] 1. A motion like that of waves; a moving in this and that direction; as, the fluctuations of the sea.

2. A wavering; unsteadiness; as, fluctuations of opinion; fluctuations of prices.

3. (Med.) The motion or undulation of a fluid collected in a natural or artifical cavity, which is felt when it is subjected to pressure or percussion. Dunglison.