Flowing downward or flowing away; characterized by a downward flow.
From Latin defluens (flowing down), combining de- (down) + fluens (flowing, from fluere meaning 'to flow'). The Latin root fluere gives us fluid, flux, and confluence.
Medical terminology borrowed this word to describe conditions where bodily humors or fluids flow downward—it's one of those anatomical terms that shows how older medical models used flow and balance as central metaphors for health and disease.
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