effluere

Effluere is a Latin verb meaning to flow out or to issue forth. It is formed from ex- 'out' plus fluere 'to flow,' and has given rise to several English derivative terms such as effluent, effluence, and effluvium.

In classical Latin, effluere described liquids that escape from a source, such as water, juice, or smoke, and it could be used metaphorically for things that emanate from a person, place, or object—ideas, influence, or sounds that flow out into the surrounding space.

In English, the related nouns have distinct senses. Effluent refers to wastewater or other liquid discharges from a pipe or treatment facility. Effluence or efflux denotes the act or result of flowing out, often used in physics or philosophy. Effluvium, increasingly common in everyday language, denotes an emanation or odor, frequently noxious or disagreeable. The term effluence is also used more broadly to mean a flowing forth of influence or quality.

The Latin verb is primarily found in classical and post-classical texts and is cited in dictionaries of Latin. Its semantic range—physical flow and metaphorical emanation—has influenced English vocabulary in technical and literary contexts.