fluid(s = adj.all) unstable - subject to change; variable; "a fluid situation fraught with uncertainty"; "everything was unstable following the coup"

Derived form noun fluidness₂

fluid(s = adj.all) runny - characteristic of a fluid; capable of flowing and easily changing shape; Array

Derived forms noun fluid₂, noun fluid₁, noun fluidity₁, noun fluidness₁

fluid(s = adj.all) fluent, liquid, smooth - smooth and unconstrained in movement; "a long, smooth stride"; "the fluid motion of a cat"; "the liquid grace of a ballerina"
fluid(s = adj.all) liquid - in cash or easily convertible to cash; "liquid (or fluid) assets"
fluid(s = adj.all) mobile - affording change (especially in social status); "Britain is not a truly fluid society"; "upwardly mobile"

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CIDE DICTIONARY

fluid, a. [L. fluidus, fr. fluere to flow: cf. F. fluide. See Fluent.].

Having particles which easily move and change their relative position without a separation of the mass, and which easily yield to pressure; capable of flowing; liquid or gaseous. [1913 Webster]

fluid, n.

A fluid substance; a body whose particles move easily among themselves. [1913 Webster]

" Fluid is a generic term, including liquids and gases as species. Water, air, and steam are fluids. By analogy, the term was sometimes applied to electricity and magnetism, as in phrases electric fluid, magnetic fluid, though not strictly appropriate; such usage has disappeared." [1913 Webster]

Fluid dram, or Fluid drachm, a measure of capacity equal to one eighth of a fluid ounce. -- Fluid ounce. (a) In the United States, a measure of capacity, in apothecaries' or wine measure, equal to one sixteenth of a pint or 29.57 cubic centimeters. This, for water, is about 1.04158 ounces avoirdupois, or 455.6 grains. (b) In England, a measure of capacity equal to the twentieth part of an imperial pint. For water, this is the weight of the avoirdupois ounce, or 437.5 grains. -- Fluids of the body. (Physiol.) The circulating blood and lymph, the chyle, the gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal juices, the saliva, bile, urine, aqueous humor, and muscle serum are the more important fluids of the body. The tissues themselves contain a large amount of combined water, so much, that an entire human body dried in vacuo with a very moderate degree of heat gives about 66 per cent of water. -- Burning fluid, Elastic fluid, Electric fluid, Magnetic fluid, etc. See under Burning, Elastic, etc.

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

fluid, n. & adj.
--n.
1 a substance, esp. a gas or liquid, lacking definite shape and capable of flowing and yielding to the slightest pressure.
2 a fluid part or secretion.
--adj.
1 able to flow and alter shape freely.
2 constantly changing or fluctuating (the situation is fluid).
3 (of a clutch, coupling, etc.) in which liquid is used to transmit power.

Idiom

fluid drachm see DRACHM. fluid ounce see OUNCE(1).

Derivative

fluidify v.tr. (-ies, -ied). fluidity n. fluidly adv. fluidness n.

Etymology

F fluide or L fluidus f. fluere flow

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THESAURUS

fluid

able to adapt, adaptable, adjustable, aerodynamics, afterdamp, air, alterable, alterative, aqueous, atmosphere, beverage, blackdamp, blood, breath, changeable, changeful, checkered, chokedamp, cloud, damp, drink, effluvium, ever-changing, exhalation, fetid air, firedamp, flatus, flexible, flowing, fluent, fluid extract, fluid mechanics, fluidal, fluidic, fluxible, fluxile, fluxional, fluxionary, formless, fume, gas, halogen gas, hydraulics, hydrogeology, ichor, impermanent, indefinite, inert gas, juice, juicy, kaleidoscopic, latex, liquid, liquid extract, liquidy, liquor, malaria, malleable, many-sided, mephitis, mercurial, metamorphic, miasma, milk, mobile, modifiable, movable, mutable, nonuniform, permutable, plastic, pliant, pneumatics, protean, proteiform, puff of smoke, reek, resilient, rubbery, running, runny, sap, sappy, semiliquid, shifting, smoke, smudge, solution, steam, succulent, supple, transient, transitory, uncertain, unfixed, unformed, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, vapor, variable, volatile, water, water vapor, watery, whey

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ROGET THESAURUS

fluid

Form

N form, figure, shape, conformation, configuration, make, formation, frame, construction, cut, set, build, trim, cut of one's jib, stamp, type, cast, mold, fashion, contour, structure, plasmature, feature, lineament, turn, phase, posture, attitude, pose, morphism, isomorphism, forming, formation, figuration, efformation, sculpture, plasmation, formed, plastic, fictile, formative, fluid, plasmic, isomorphous, pleomorphic, protean, changeable.

Amorphism

N amorphism, informity, unlicked cub, rudis indigestaque moles, disorder, deformity, disfigurement, defacement, mutilation, deforming, chaos, randomness (disorder), fluid, shapeless, amorphous, formless, unformed, unhewn, unfashioned, unshaped, unshapen, rough, rude, Gothic, barbarous, rugged.

Fluidity

N fluidity, liquidity, liquidness, gaseity, fluid, inelastic fluid, liquid, liquor, lymph, humor, juice, sap, serum, blood, serosity, gravy, rheum, ichor, sanies, chyle, solubility, solubleness, hydrology, hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, liquid, fluid, serous, juicy, succulent, sappy, ichorous, fluent, liquefied, uncongealed, soluble, fluidity, liquidity, liquidness, gaseity, fluid, inelastic fluid, liquid, liquor, lymph, humor, juice, sap, serum, blood, serosity, gravy, rheum, ichor, sanies, chyle, solubility, solubleness, hydrology, hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, liquid, fluid, serous, juicy, succulent, sappy, ichorous, fluent, liquefied, uncongealed, soluble.

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