effluent

1 of 2

adjective

ef·​flu·​ent ˈe-ˌflü-ənt 

e-ˈflü-,

ə-

: flowing out : emanating, outgoing

an effluent river

effluent

2 of 2

noun

: something that flows out: such as

a

: an outflowing branch of a main stream or lake

b

: waste material (such as smoke, liquid industrial refuse, or sewage) discharged into the environment especially when serving as a pollutant

Did you know?

Effluent comes from the Latin verb effluere, "to flow out". In an older meaning, an effluent was a stream flowing out of a river or lake. But nowadays effluent almost always means wastes that pour into our water and air. Liquid factory waste, smoke, and raw sewage can all be called effluents. An effluent filter keeps treated waste flowing out of a septic tank from clogging up its drainage pipes.

Examples of effluent in a Sentence

Noun

The factory has been accused of discharging effluent into the river.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Teague, who has more than three decades of water quality and coastal planning experience, told CNBC the application was full of holes, missing basic details about water discharge volumes, the temperature of the effluent and outfall locations. —Lora Kolodny, NBC News, 12 Aug. 2024

If wind speeds exceed 10 mph, the fountain is shut off by sensors to ensure the effluent water used in the lake and fountain aren't blown out of the park, city officials said. —Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 9 Aug. 2024

Noun

Functional or not, septic tanks pollute by releasing human-waste effluent into Florida’s sandy soils. —Nicole Kirchhoff, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2024

Another culprit is the Mississippi River, which carries nutrient-rich effluent from farms and industries into the Gulf of Mexico. —Farah Nibbs, The Conversation, 4 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin effluent-, effluens, present participle of effluere to flow out, from ex- + fluere to flow — more at fluid

First Known Use

Adjective

1726, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1859, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

effluent

noun

ef·​flu·​ent

ˈef-ˌlü-ənt;

e-ˈflü-,

ə-

: liquid (as sewage or industrial by-products) discharged as waste

effluent adjective