fluency (floensi)

[See fluence.] 1. The quality of being fluent. (a) The quality of being flowing or changeable: opposed to rigidity. An arbitrary rule, an institution, must be opposed to the fluency, the ever-changing relations, of nature and fact. Mind, IX. 396. (b) Readine and smoothne of utterance; volubility. Unpremeditated prayers, uttered with great fluency, with a devout warmth and earnestne , are apt to make strong and awakening impre ions on the minds of the generality of hearers. Bp. Atterbury, Sermons, II. xx. A man of weak capacity, with fluency of speech, tri umphs in outrunning you. Steele, Tatler, No. 244. 2t. Affluence; abundance. Those who grow old in fluency and ease. Sandys , Paraphrase of Job. =Syn. Glibne , facility, readine . fluent (flö'ent), a. and n. [L. fluen ( t )s, ppr. of fluere, pp. flux us, flow, = Gr. φλύειν, swell, overflow, άνα - φλύειν, spout up. Not related to E. flow1. Hence ult. ( next. Motion being a fluent thing,... it doth not follow that because anything moves this moment it must do so the Ray, Works of Creation. Broad brows and fair, a fluent hair and fine, High nose, a nostril large and fine, and hands Large, fair, and fine. Tennyson, Gareth and Lynette, I never had dreamed of such delicate motion, fluent and R. D. Black more , Lorna Doone, x. graceful. fluid