fluctus, ūs (ante-class. form of the gen. sing. fluctuis, Varr. and Nigid. ap. Gell. 4, 16, 1; nom. plur. flucti, Pac. and Att. ap. Non. 488, 12), m. [fluo; cf. fluctio], the peculiar motion of fluids, a flowing, waving.
I In abstr. (rare; cf.: unda, fluentum): jactetur aquae fluctu quoque terra vacillans, Lucr. 6, 554 sq.—Of the flowing motion of the magnetic fluid (v. aestus): Cogitur offensare pulsareque fluctu Ferrea texta suo, Lucr. 6, 1053.—In mal. part., Lucr. 4, 1271; cf. fluctuo, I. α fin. —
II Transf., a flow , flood. —In concr., a wave , billow , surge , esp. of the sea (the predom. signif. of the word in prose and poetry; esp. freq. in the plur.).
α Sing. : fons aquae dulcis, qui fluctu totus operiretur, nisi, etc., the flood , i. e. high tide , Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 53, § 118: alia fluctus differt, dissipat visceratim membra, Maria salsa spumant sanguine, Enn. ap. Non. 183, 18 (Trag. v. 144 ed. Vahl.): ab saxo avortit fluctus ad litus scapham, Plaut. Rud. 1, 2, 76; 82: fluctum a saxo frangi, Cic. Fam. 9, 16, 6: fluctus uti ... volutus Ad terras immane sonat per saxa, Verg. G. 3, 237: ad fluctum aiunt declamare solitum Demosthenem, ut fremitum assuesceret voce vincere, to the waves , Cic. Fin. 5, 2, 5.—
β Plur. : indu mari magno fluctus extollere certant, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 2 (Ann. v. 425 ed. Vahl.): mulserat huc navim compulsam fluctibus pontus, id. ap. Prisc. p. 870 P. (Ann. v. 257 ed. Vahl.): excitatis maximis fluctibus, Cic. Rep. 1, 6: (insulae) fluctibus cinctae, id. ib. 2, 4; cf.: Massilia, quae cincta Gallorum gentibus barbariae fluctibus alluitur, id. Fl. 26, 63: sese fluctibus committere, id. Verr. 2, 2, 37, § 91: sedatis fluctibus, id. Inv. 2, 51, 154: puppes ad magnitudinem fluctuum tempestatumque accommodatae, Caes. B. G. 3, 13, 3: in fluctibus consistere, id. ib. 4, 24, 2: fluctibus compleri, id. ib. 4, 28 fin. : luctantem Icariis fluctibus Africum Mercator metuens, Hor. C. 1, 1, 15: o navis, referent in mare te novi Fluctus, id. ib. 1, 14, 2: mulcere fluctus et tollere vento, Verg. A. 1, 66: procella ... fluctus ad sidera tollit, id. ib. 1, 103: revomere salsos fluctus pectore, id. ib. 5, 182.—Prov.: excitare fluctus in simpulo, to raise a tempest in a tea-pot , i. e. to make much ado about nothing , Cic. Leg. 3, 16, 36.—
2 Poet. transf., a stream of odors : unde fluens volvat varius se fluctus odorum, Lucr. 4, 675.—And of a stream of fire : atro volvens incendia fluctu, Val. Fl. 7, 572.—
B Trop., like tempestas and unda, and our waves or billows, for turbulence , commotion , disturbance : qui in hac tempestate populi jactemur et fluctibus, Cic. Planc. 4, 11; cf. contionum, id. Mil. 2, 5: rerum Fluctibus in mediis, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 85; cf. also Lucr. 5, 11: hoc omne tempus post consulatum objecimus iis fluctibus, qui per nos a communi peste depulsi, in nosmet ipsos redundarunt, Cic. de Or. 1, 1, 3; id. Att. 8, 3, 5: fluctus civiles, Nep. Att. 6: capere irarum fluctus in pectore, Lucr. 3, 298; so, irarum, id. 6, 74; Verg. A. 12, 831; Val. Max. 9, 3 init. : tristes curarum, Lucr. 6, 34: belli, id. 5, 1290.