reflux

R1E1F4L1U1X8
UK/ˈɹiː.flʌks/Canada, US/ˈɹi.flʌks/Australia, New Zealand/ˈɹiː.flɐks/

noun

The backwards flow of any fluid.

“the refluxing tide”

Similar
backflowbackfluxebb
Less commonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounreflux (countable and uncountable, plural refluxes)

plural refluxes

  1. countableuncountableThe backwards flow of any fluid.
    1 more example

    […] after a little way out to sea, there was a current and wind, always one way in the morning, the other in the afternoon. This I understood to be no more than the sets of the tide, as going out or coming in; but I afterwards understood it was occasioned by the great draft and reflux of the mighty river Orinoco […]

    1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC

    Synonyms: backflow, backflux

  2. countableuncountablechemistryA technique, using a reflux condenser, allowing one to boil the contents of a vessel over an extended period.
  3. countableuncountablemedicineThe leaking of stomach acid up into the oesophagus.
verbreflux (third-person singular simple present refluxes, present participle refluxing, simple past and past participle refluxed)

present singular third person refluxes · participle present refluxing · participle past refluxed · past refluxed

  1. To flow back or return.

    the refluxing tide

    Synonyms: backflow, backflux

  2. To boil a liquid in a vessel having a reflux condenser.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe backwards flow of any fluid.

Similar
backflowbackflux

verbTo flow back or return.

Similar
backflowbackflux

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe outward flow of the tide

Similar
ebb
Broader
flowflowing
Also see
backflowbackfluxebb

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian отлив, оттегляне
  • отлив (otliv)backwards flow of any fluid
  • оттегляне (ottegljane)backwards flow of any fluid
Chinese Mandarin 回流
  • 回流 (huíliú)backwards flow of any fluid
Finnish takaisinvirtaus
  • takaisinvirtausbackwards flow of any fluid
French reflux, reflux
  • refluxbackwards flow of any fluid
  • refluxtechnique using a reflux condenser
German Rückfluss, Reflux
  • Rückflussbackwards flow of any fluid
  • Refluxbackwards flow of any fluid
  • Rückflusstechnique using a reflux condenser
Icelandic bakflæði
  • bakflæðibackwards flow of any fluid
Indonesian refluks
  • refluksbackwards flow of any fluid
Irish aife
  • aifetechnique using a reflux condenser
Korean 환류
  • 환류 (hwallyu)technique using a reflux condenser
Polish odpływ, wykroplina
  • odpływbackwards flow of any fluid
  • wykroplinatechnique using a reflux condenser
Spanish reflujo
  • reflujobackwards flow of any fluid

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

fluxer
Cite this entry
APA

reflux. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reflux

MLA

“reflux.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reflux. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reflux,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reflux.

Source: reflux on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.