profluence Now rare.
(ˈprəʊflʊəns)
[ad. L. prōfluentia a flowing forth, f. prōflu-ĕre to flow forth: see profluent and -ence.]
1. † a. A flowing forth or onward; current, stream, flow. Obs.
| 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. iv. xvi, A wheyish moat; In whose soft waves, and circling profluence, This Citie, like an Isle, might safely float. 1686 Plot Staffordsh. 49 This well will grow dry, after a constant profluence perhaps of eight or ten years. 1693 Sir T. P. Blount Nat. Hist. 253 As long as there is a profluence of Water through them, there is no Danger of their Entertaining such Damps. |
b. fig. The onward flow or course (of events, etc.). rare.
| a 1639 Wotton Paral. in Reliq. (1651) 6 In the profluence or proceedings of their fortunes. 1903 Myers Hum. Personality II. 289 We see it degrade the cosmic march and profluence into a manner of children's play. |
2. fig. † a. Ready flow of words, fluency. b. Abundance, profusion. rare.
| 1568 G. Skeyne The Pest (1860) 16 Nature..disagysit be sophisticall profluence of wordis. a 1619 M. Fotherby Atheom. ii. i. §8 (1622) 193 Africanus, had his grauitie;..Galba, his austeritie; Carbo, his profluence. 1623 Cockeram, Profluence, abundance. 1658 Phillips, Profluence, a flowing plentifully, abundance. 1950 M. Peake Gormenghast lxxi. 392 The windows..appeared to be sprinkled over the green facades..with an indiscriminate and wayward profluence that gave no clue as to how the inner structures held together. |