I.a flowing of water; and concr., a flood, stream, flowing or running water (syn.: fluvius, amnis, rivus).
I. In gen. (mostly poet.): Romane, aquam Albanam cave lacu contineri, cave in mare manare suo flumine sinas, an old prophetic formula ap. Liv. 5, 16, 9: “rapidus montano flumine torrens,” Verg. A. 2, 305; cf. Ov. R. Am. 651: “visendus ater flumine languido Cocytos errans,” Hor. C. 2, 14, 17: “inde sequemur Ipsius amnis iter, donec nos flumine certo Perferat,” Val. Fl. 8, 189: et Tiberis flumen vomit in mare salsum, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 4 (Ann. v. 453 ed. Vahl.); cf.: “teque pater Tiberine tuo cum flumine sancto,” id. ib. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 55 ib.): “donec me flumine vivo Abluero,” in a living, running stream, Verg. A. 2, 719; cf.: quin tu ante vivo perfunderis flumine? Auct. ap. Liv. 1, 45, 6 (for which: “aqua viva,” Varr. L. L. 5, § 123 Müll.).—In plur.: “nymphae venas et flumina fontis Elicuere sui,” streams, Ov. M. 14, 788: “frigida Scamandri,” Hor. Epod. 13, 14: “Symaethia circum Flumina,” Verg. A. 9, 585: “limosa potat,” Ov. M. 1, 634; cf.: “Tantalus a labris sitiens fugientia captat Flumina,” Hor. S. 1, 1, 69: “maritima immittere in piscinas,” Varr. R. R. 3, 17, 9.
II. In partic., a river.
A. Lit. (the predominant signif. of the word both in prose and poetry): quod per amoenam urbem leni fluit agmine flumen, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 4 (Ann. v. 177 ed. Vahl.); cf.: “ut flumina in contrarias partes fluxerint,” Cic. Div. 1, 35, 78: “Scipio biduum moratus ad flumen, quod inter eum et Domitii castra fluebat,” Caes. B. C. 3, 37, 1: “aurea flumina,” Lucr. 5, 911: “habet non tantum venas aquarum terra, ex quibus corrivatis flumina effici possunt, sed et amnes magnitudinis vastae, etc.,” Sen. Q. N. 3, 19; cf. Cic. Rep. 2, 5: “nec ullum hoc frigidius flumen attigi,” id. Leg. 2, 3, 6: “nos flumina arcemus, dirigimus, avertimus,” id. N. D. 2, 60, 152: “una pars (Galliae) initium capit a flumine Rhodano, continetur Garumna flumine ... attingit etiam flumen Rhenum, etc.,” Caes. B. G. 1, 1, 6 sq.; 1, 2, 7: “inter montem Juram et flumen Rhodanum,” id. ib. 1, 6, 1: “flumen est Arar, quod, etc.,” id. ib. 1, 12, 1: “flumen Dubis,” id. ib. 1, 38, 4: “non Seres, non Tanain prope flumen orti,” Hor. C. 4, 15, 24: “Veliternos ad Asturae flumen Maenius fudit,” Liv. 8, 13, 5 Drak. N. cr.: “terrarum situs et flumina dicere,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 252: “secundo flumine ad Lutetiam iter facere coepit,” with the stream, Caes. B. G. 7, 58, 5 (cf. secundus, 2. a.): “magnum ire agmen adverso flumine,” against the stream, Caes. B. G. 7, 60, 3; cf. Verg. G. 1, 201; Liv. 24, 40. —Prov.: “flumine vicino stultus sitit, like,” starves in the midst of plenty, Petr. Fragm. p. 899 Burm.—
2. Transf., of other things which flow in streams or like streams, a stream, flood (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): “sanguinis,” Lucr. 2, 354; 4, 1029: “largoque humectat flumine vultum,” flood of tears, Verg. A. 1, 465: “laeta magis pressis manabunt flumina mammis,” streams of milk, id. G. 3, 310: “flumina jam lactis, jam flumina nectaris,” Ov. M. 1, 111: rigido concussae flumine nubes Exonerabantur, a torrent of rain, Petr. poët. Sat. 123; cf.: “ut picis e caelo demissum flumen,” a stream of pitch, Lucr. 6, 257: “magnesia flumine saxa,” in the magnetic stream, id. 6, 1064: “effusaeque ruunt inopino flumine turbae,” i. e. in a vast stream, Sil. 12, 185; cf. Verg. A. 11, 236: “aëris,” a current of air, App. de Mund. p. 61, 33 Elm. p. 258 Bip.—
B. Trop., of expression, a flow, fluency, stream: “orationis flumine reprehensoris convicia diluuntur,” Cic. N. D. 2, 7, 20: “flumen orationis aureum,” id. Ac. 2, 38, 119: “orationis,” id. de Or. 2, 15, 62; cf.: “flumen verborum volubili tasque,” id. Or. 16, 53: “gravissimorum op timorumque verborum,” id. de Or. 2, 45, 188: “inanium verborum,” id. N. D. 2, 1, 1: “Lysias ... puro fonti quam magno flumini propior,” Quint. 10, 1, 78; 9, 4, 61; cf. id. 10, 1, 61; Petr. 5 fin.—And fig.: “neque concipere neque edere partum mens potest, nisi ingenti flumine litterarum inundata,” Petr. 118.
