Effluxion

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɛˈflʌk.ʃən/

Definitions

1. The act of flowing out can indicate both the physical release of a substance as well as the metaphorical progression of time from one moment to another
2. This term encompasses the outpouring of a material along with the idea of time elapsing or transitioning from one state to another
3. The process of a substance flowing out can refer to a physical emission while also suggesting the passage of time as it moves from one condition to another

Etymology: "Effluxion" is an English noun meaning a flowing out, built from "efflux" with the suffix "-ion" added. The base word traces back to Latin "effluxus," the past participle of "effluere," meaning to flow out or away. That Latin verb combines "ex," meaning "out of" or "from," with "fluere," meaning "to flow," so the word's core image is simply liquid or matter streaming outward. The "-ion" ending, which English took from Latin and French, turns the verb-like idea of flowing into a noun for the act or result of flowing out. Because the word is so closely tied to its base, it works as a straightforward formation rather than a word with a dramatic backstory, and its meaning has stayed almost unchanged from its Latin sense.

Synonyms: flow, outflow, discharge, exudation