reflux

American  

[ree-fluhks] / ˈriˌflʌks /

noun

1. a flowing back; ebb.

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reflux British  

/ ˈriːflʌks /

verb

1. chem to boil or be boiled in a vessel attached to a condenser, so that the vapour condenses and flows back into the vessel

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noun

1. chem

   1. an act of refluxing

   2. ( as modifier )

      a reflux condenser

2. the act or an instance of flowing back; ebb

Etymology

Origin of reflux

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word refluxus. See re-, flux

Example Sentences

Between 40 and 70 percent of patients on these drugs report gastrointestinal adverse effects, like acid reflux, chronic diarrhea, and/or constipation.

From Slate • Mar. 22, 2026

By suppressing stomach acid, these drugs ease symptoms of ulcers, gastritis, and reflux.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

Her youngest child is 22 months old and still nursing; he has acid reflux and an allergy to other forms of milk.

From Salon • Oct. 22, 2025

The cells there aren’t built to withstand exposure to stomach acid, so in people with chronic acid reflux, they sometimes adapt by becoming more like intestinal tissue.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2024

The heat and cold which surround the globe are in a state of constant and universal flux and reflux.

From Principles of Geology or, The Modern Changes of the Earth and its Inhabitants Considered as Illustrative of Geology by Lyell, Charles, Sir