Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Fluid |
FluidAdjective1. Subject to change; variable; "a fluid situation fraught with uncertainty"; "everything was unstable following the coup. 2. Characteristic of a fluid; capable of flowing and easily changing shape. 3. Smooth and unconstrained in movement; "a long, smooth stride"; "the fluid motion of a cat"; "the liquid grace of a ballerina"; "liquid prose". 4. In cash or easily convertible to cash; "liquid (or fluid) assets". 5. Affording change (especially in social status); "Britain is not a truly fluid society"; "upwardly mobile". Noun1. A substance that is fluid at room temperature and pressure. 2. A continuous amorphous substance that tends to flow and to conform to the outline of its container: a liquid or a gas. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "fluid" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1321. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Aerospace | A substance which, when in static equilibrium, cannot sustain a shear stress; a liquid or a gas.This concept is only approximated by actual liquids and gases. (references) |
Mining | A. The quality, state, or degree of being fluid: a liquid or gaseous state. CF:gas b. The physical property of a substance that enables it to flow and that is a measure of the rate at which it is deformed by a shearing stress, as contrasted with viscosity: the reciprocal of viscosity c. In mineral transport, the term is not confined to liquids and slurries, but is also used for finely divided solids that flow readily in aircurrents, fluosolids reactors, or through dry ball mills. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Note: More than you ever wanted to know on the subject. This is a work in process.Bodily fluids are fluids, which are generally excreted or secreted from the human body. These respective fluids would include:
Feces, while not generally classed as a body fluid, are often treated similarly to body fluids, and are sometimes fluid or semi-fluid in nature.
- Urine
- Vomit
- Mucus (including snot and phlegm comprised of colloid, anti-septic enzymes, and immunogoblins)
- Saliva (amylase)
- Tears (water, mucin, lipids, lysozome, immunogoblins, glucose, urea, sodium, potassium)
- Milk
- Semen
- Vaginal secretion (including pyridine, squalene, urea, acetic acid, lactic acid, complex alcohols, glycols, ketones, and aldehydes)
- Female ejaculate
- Sebum (skin oil)
- Menses
- Sweat
- Blood
- amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus (which is released to the outside world in childbirth)
Internal body fluids, which are not usually leaked or excreted to the outside world, include:
- cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and the spinal cord
- synovial fluid surrounding bone joints
Bodily fluids in religion and history
Bodily fluids are regarded with varying levels of disgust among Western cultures, as well as many Middle Eastern cultures; the perception is that bodily fluids are unclean (which is not strictly true as urine is in most cases completely sterile until it exits the body). These perceptions are due largely to the influence of Judaism and the teachings of the Old Testament or Torah, and were carried over into Christianity and Islam, who regard these same writings as sacred.
Other religions do not share such beliefs. Some sects of Hindu regularly ingest their own urine for health reasons. Hindus, Khoikhoi, and Dinkas smear themselves with dung or dung ashes to atone. Persians once atoned by drinking cow urine.
Feces and urine have been used by religions on every continent for atonement, rites of passage, and funerary rites.
Attitudes concerning bodily fluids aside, there is a long human history of their use in religion, medicine, art, sex, and folklore. Some believe that the tradition of shaking hands with the right hand stems from using the left hand to clean up after defecation, as a result, shaking hands with the left hand is considered insulting in many cultures.
Body fluids and health
Modern medical hygiene and public health practices also treat body fluids as unclean. This is because they can be vectorss for infectious diseases, such as sexually transmitted diseases or blood-borne diseases.
Safer sex practices try to avoid exchanges of body fluids which may risk infection.
See also:
- Hygiene
- Ritual cleanliness
- Blood-borne diseases
- Barrier nursing
INDEX
1. Definition
2. Synonyms
3. Crosswords
4. Usage: Modern5. Usage: Commercial
6. Images: Slideshow
7. Images: Photo Album
8. Images: Digital Art9. Sounds
10. Quotations: Fiction
11. Quotations: Non-fiction
12. Usage Frequency13. Expressions
14. Expressions: Internet
15. Translations: Modern
16. Translations: Ancient17. Abbreviations
18. Acronyms
19. Derivations
20. Rhymes21. Anagrams
22. BibliographyCopyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.