phlegm
English
/flɛm/
noun
Definitions
- (historical) One of the four humors making up the body in ancient and mediaeval medicine; said to be cold and moist, and often identified with mucus.
- Viscid mucus produced by the body, later especially mucus expelled from the bronchial passages by coughing.
- (historical) A watery distillation, especially one obtained from plant matter; an aqueous solution.
- Calmness of temperament, composure; also seen negatively, sluggishness, indifference.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English flewme derived from Old French fleume (phlegm) derived from Middle French flemme derived from Latin phlegma derived from Ancient Greek φλέγμα (l, a cold slimy humour of the body, en, phlegm, flame, inflammation, clammy humor in the body).
Origin
Ancient Greek
φλέγμα
Gloss
l, a cold slimy humour of the body, en, phlegm, flame, inflammation, clammy humor in the body
Concept
Semantic Field
The body
Ontological Category
Person/Thing
Emoji
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- dephlegm English
- leucophlegmacy English
- phlegmily English
- phlegminess English
- phlegmish English
- phlegmy English
- phlegma Latin
- Flaum German
- flemma Italian
- flegme French
- φλέγμα Ancient Greek
- φλέγω Ancient Greek
- φλεγματικός Ancient Greek
- flegma Swedish
- flegmatisk Swedish
- flegma Polish
- flewme Middle English
- sausfleme Middle English
- بلغم Arabic
- بَلْغَم Arabic
- fleume Old French
- phớt tỉnh Ăng-lê Vietnamese
- Flom Luxembourgish, Letzeburgesch
- flemme Middle French
- ფლეგმა Georgian
- phlegma LL