I.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,” Cic. 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.