fluct-, flucti-, -flux, flu-, flum-, -fluent, -fluence

Aphasia in which expressions by speech, or writing, is severely impaired.

1. A technical medical term for what is popularly called "heartburn", a burning sensation in the upper abdomen.
2. An uncomfortable burning sensation in the lower chest, usually caused by stomach acid flowing back into the lower end of the esophagus.
3. A burning sensation, usually centered in the middle of the chest near the sternum, caused by the reflux of acidic stomach fluids that enter the lower end of the esophagus.

A reference to flowing back; ebbing, as the waters of a tide.

Flowing back; ebbing, as the tide.

1. A returning flow of something.
2. In medicine, a back-flow of liquid in the opposite direction to its normal movement; for example, the regurgitation of stomach and peptic juices associated with acid indigestion (when liquid backs up into the esophagus from the stomach) and hiatal hernia, the protrusion of the stomach up into the opening that is normally occupied by the esophagus in the diaphragm, which is the muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdomen.

See related words in this gurgit- unit.

3. In physics, heating while condensing vapor: a method of heating liquid so that escaping vapor is condensed and returned to the liquid.

Inflammation of the voice box (the larynx) caused by stomach acid backing up into the esophagus.

Reflux laryngitis is associated with chronic hoarseness and symptoms of esophageal irritation such as "heartburn".

Reflux is caused by a weakness in the muscle at the junction of the esophagus (food tube) and the stomach. Normally, this sphincter muscle opens to allow food to go down to the stomach and closes to keep the stomach's contents from coming back up. The backward movement of stomach contents up into the esophagus is called gastroesophageal reflux.

The refluxed stomach acid irritates the lining of the esophagus, larynx and throat. This can lead to erosion of the lining of the esophagus (erosive esophagitis), narrowing of the esophagus (stricture), chronic hoarseness, chronic throat clearing, difficulty swallowing, cough, spasms of the vocal cords and growths on the vocal cords (granulomas). Reflux also increases the risk of cancer of the esophagus and larynx.

Heartburn is the most common symptom of reflux. Other symptoms include non-cardiac chest pain, chronic hoarseness, asthma, or the feeling of a foreign body in the throat (the globus phenomenon).

An area of the world dominated politically or economically by a country, or certain countries.

The amount of substance excreted in urine divided by time, expressed in nanomoles (a unit of amount of substance equal to 10^-9 [one billionth] moles per second).

Moles refer to the actual number of atoms or molecules in an object.

Running under or beneath something.

1. A collection of particles that exhibit zero viscosity and zero entropy (roughly speaking, a complete lack of friction).
2. A fluid; such as, liquid helium, that flows with little or no friction at temperatures close to absolute zero.

Extreme fluidity; a lack of viscosity: "The superfluidity of liquid helium, the frictionless flow of entire atoms, demonstrated in a liquid's ability to flow through the smallest tubes or the most narrow of slits."

1. Something beyond what is necessary.
2. An excessive or overabundant supply of something.

1. Descriptive of something which is more than is necessary or required; excessive: After sorting through her wardrobe at home, Sally noticed that she had more than enough pullovers; so, she gave the superfluous ones to the used clothing store downtown.
2. A reference to that which is unnecessary or needless: Linda set the table for ten birthday party guests; however, since two guests couldn’t come, she removed the superfluous dishes and silverware from the table and put them away.
3. Relating to possessing or spending more than what is necessary; extravagant: Andy's wife loved to buy new shoes quite often; as a result, she had a superfluous collection with many more than she could ever wear. © ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.

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In a superfluous manner; that is, an excess of what is required or which is sufficient.