# fluid

Pronunciation: say "FLOO-id" US /ˈfluɪd/, UK /ˈfluːɪd/

## Noun

1. A liquid substance, as distinct from a solid or a gas.
   - Simple: A liquid: something that flows and pours, like water, milk, or oil.
   - _Brake fluid leaked slowly from the cracked line._
   - _The container was filled with a clear, odorless fluid._
2. Any substance that flows readily and takes the shape of its container: a liquid, gas, or plasma.
   - Simple: Anything that can flow and take the shape of its container, such as a liquid or a gas.
   - _Engineers study how a fluid behaves when forced through narrow pipes._
   - _Both gases and liquids count as fluids in physics._
7. Liquid delivered directly into a patient's vein as part of medical treatment. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Liquid given to a sick person through a tube into a vein.
   - _After surgery she was put on fluids for two days._
   - _The ER doctor ordered a fluid bolus for the dehydrated marathon runner._

## Adjective

3. In a changeable state; subject to ongoing change rather than fixed.
   - Simple: Likely to change, and not fixed or settled yet.
   - _The political situation remained fluid for weeks after the election._
   - _Negotiations were fluid, with the terms shifting almost daily._
4. Moving smoothly and gracefully, or seeming to flow like a liquid in motion.
   - Simple: Moving in a smooth, easy way, like flowing water.
   - _The gymnast performed a fluid sequence without a single pause._
   - _Her handwriting is fluid, each letter flowing into the next._
5. Relating to a fluid or to the movement and behavior of fluids.
   - Simple: Having to do with liquids or the way they flow.
   - _The course covers fluid dynamics and the forces involved._
   - _Their research focuses on fluid resistance in narrow channels._
6. Able to be converted into cash readily.
   - Simple: Easy to turn into cash quickly.
   - _The company kept most of its assets fluid to cover sudden costs._
   - _Investors preferred fluid holdings during the uncertain market._

## Adjective

8. Having a gender identity that shifts over time rather than remaining fixed. *(rare)*
   - Simple: Having a gender that changes over time rather than staying the same.
   - _Being fluid, he describes his gender as shifting from week to week._
   - _Many fluid people find that rigid labels simply do not fit them._

## Origin

From Middle English fluid, from Latin fluidus ("flowing; fluid"), from Latin fluō ("to flow"), ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to swell, surge, overflow, run." It is related to Ancient Greek phlúein ("to swell; overflow"), but not to English flow, which is a separately inherited native word.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/fluid (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).