phlegm


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phlegm

 (flĕm)
n.
1. Thick, sticky, stringy mucus secreted by the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, as during a cold or other respiratory infection.
2. One of the four humors of ancient and medieval physiology, thought to cause sluggishness, apathy, and evenness of temper.
3. Sluggishness of temperament.
4. Calm self-possession; equanimity.

[Middle English fleume, mucous discharge, the humor phlegm, from Old French, from Medieval Latin phlegma, flegma, from Late Latin phlegma, the humor phlegm, from Greek, heat, the humor phlegm, from phlegein, to burn.]

phlegm′y adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

phlegm

(flɛm)
n
1. (Physiology) the viscid mucus secreted by the walls of the respiratory tract
2. (Physiology) archaic one of the four bodily humours
3. apathy; stolidity; indifference
4. self-possession; imperturbability; coolness
[C14: from Old French fleume, from Late Latin phlegma, from Greek: inflammation, from phlegein to burn]
ˈphlegmy adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

phlegm

(flɛm)

n.
1. the thick mucus secreted in the respiratory passages and discharged through the mouth, esp. that occurring in the lungs and throat passages, as during a cold.
2. one of the four elemental bodily humors of medieval physiology, regarded as causing sluggishness or apathy.
3. sluggishness or apathy.
4. calmness; composure.
[1350–1400; Middle English fleem < Middle French flemme < Late Latin phlegma < Greek phlégma flame, phlegmatic humor =phlég(ein) to burn + -ma resultative n. suffix]
phlegm′y, adj. phlegm•i•er, phlegm•i•est.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

phlegm

(flĕm)
Mucus produced by the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

phlegm

- Comes from Latin phlegma, "clammy moisture," and Greek phlegma, "inflammation."
See also related terms for inflammation.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.phlegm - apathy demonstrated by an absence of emotional reactionsphlegm - apathy demonstrated by an absence of emotional reactions
apathy - an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
2.phlegm - expectorated matter; saliva mixed with discharges from the respiratory passages; in ancient and medieval physiology it was believed to cause sluggishness
mucous secretion, mucus - protective secretion of the mucus membranes; in the gut it lubricates the passage of food and protects the epithelial cells; in the nose and throat and lungs it can make it difficult for bacteria to penetrate the body through the epithelium
3.phlegm - inactivityphlegm - inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy; "the general appearance of sluggishness alarmed his friends"
inertia, inactiveness, inactivity - a disposition to remain inactive or inert; "he had to overcome his inertia and get back to work"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

phlegm

noun
1. mucus, catarrh, sputum, mucous secretion Symptoms include vomiting and excess phlegm.
2. self-control, composure, coolness, cool (informal), calm, coldness, calmness, equanimity, self-assurance, self-possession, sangfroid, frostiness, level-headedness, unflappability (informal), stolidness They're taking it with the apathetic calm which many mistake for British phlegm.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

phlegm

noun
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
بَلْغَم
hlen
slim
slejm
kvefslím
flegmatiškasskrepliai
krēpas

phlegm

[flem] N
1. (Med) (= mucus) → flema f
2. (= equanimity) → flema f
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

phlegm

[ˈflɛm] n (= mucus) → flegme m
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

phlegm

n (= mucus)Schleim m; (obs: = humour) → Phlegma nt; (fig) (= coolness)Gemütsruhe f, → stoische Ruhe; (= stolidness)Trägheit f, → Schwerfälligkeit f, → Phlegma nt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

phlegm

[flɛm] nflemma
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

phlegm

(flem) noun
thick, slimy liquid brought up from the throat by coughing.
phlegmatic (flegˈmatik) adjective
calm; not easily excited. She's very phlegmatic – nothing would ever make her panic.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

phlegm

n. flema.
mucus;
uno de los cuatro humores del cuerpo.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

phlegm

n flema (frec. pl)
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
Allworthy was naturally a man of spirit, and his present gravity arose from true wisdom and philosophy, not from any original phlegm in his disposition; for he had possessed much fire in his youth, and had married a beautiful woman for love.
Heathcliff and his man climbed the cellar steps with vexatious phlegm: I don't think they moved one second faster than usual, though the hearth was an absolute tempest of worrying and yelping.
'liquid.' According to medieval physiology there were four chief liquids in the human body, namely blood, phlegm, bile, and black bile, and an excess of any of them produced an undue predominance of the corresponding quality; thus, an excess of phlegm made a person phlegmatic, or dull; or an excess of black bile, melancholy.
Phileas Fogg and Sir Francis Cromarty, plunged to the neck in the peculiar howdahs provided for them, were horribly jostled by the swift trotting of the elephant, spurred on as he was by the skilful Parsee; but they endured the discomfort with true British phlegm, talking little, and scarcely able to catch a glimpse of each other.
The Nez Perces, however, heard him with their accustomed phlegm; the threat of the Blackfeet had been often made, and as often had proved a mere bravado; such they pronounced it to be at present, and, of course, took no precautions.
Soon the cries of the victims slaughtered in the poultry-yard, the hasty steps of Madame Cropole up that little wooden staircase, so narrow and so echoing, the bounding pace of Pittrino, who only that morning was smoking at the door with all the phlegm of a Dutchman; all this communicated something like surprise and agitation to the traveler.
At that I opened my mouth to speak, and found a hoarse phlegm choked my voice.
"Monsieur de Treville," said the cardinal, with the greatest phlegm, "does not tell your Majesty that this innocent Musketeer, this gallant man, had only an hour before attacked, sword in hand, four commissaries of inquiry, who were delegated by myself to examine into an affair of the highest importance."
They possessed all the gravity of the latter, without any of their phlegm; and like them, the “High Dutchers” were industrious, honest, and economical, Fritz, or Frederick Hartmann, was an epitome of all the vices and virtues, foibles and excellences, of his race.
"He's getting on towards the end of his time wi' me," added the dairyman, with a phlegm which unconsciously was brutal; "and so I suppose he is beginning to see about his plans elsewhere."
I gave her every drop of ipecac in that bottle and when the last dose went down I said to myself--not to Diana or Young Mary Joe, because I didn't want to worry them any more than they were worried, but I had to say it to myself just to relieve my feelings--`This is the last lingering hope and I fear, tis a vain one.' But in about three minutes she coughed up the phlegm and began to get better right away.
These two classes are the plagues of every city in which they are generated, being what phlegm and bile are to the body.