phlegm

noun

ˈflem 

1

: viscid mucus secreted in abnormal quantity in the respiratory passages

2

: the one of the four humors (see humor sense 2c) in ancient and medieval physiology that was believed to be cold and moist and to cause lethargy and dullness

3

a

: dull or apathetic coldness or indifference

b

: intrepid coolness or calm fortitude

phlegmy

ˈfle-mē 

adjective

Synonyms

• affectlessness
• apathy
• emotionlessness
• impassiveness
• impassivity
• insensibility
• numbness

Examples of phlegm in a Sentence

He displayed remarkable phlegm in very dangerous conditions.

a man of remarkable phlegm, never showing enthusiasm nor displeasure

Recent Examples on the Web

The cough is typically a dry cough, without phlegm. —Brenda Goodman, CNN, 25 Oct. 2024

Hippocrates was guided in his thinking by the theory of humoral medicine, which posited that there are four humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile), which must be balanced for good health. —Nina Elkadi, JSTOR Daily, 2 Oct. 2024

Baby wet cough: A wet cough causes phlegm or mucus (which contains white blood cells to help fight germs) to form in the baby's airways. —Evan Forster, Parents, 17 June 2024

Depending on what those results show, the next step can be a blood test or a phlegm sample. —Melody Schreiber, NPR, 2 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fleume, fleem, flemne "one of the four humors, temperament in which this humor is predominant (alleged to cause indolence or stolidity), bodily discharge, mucus," borrowed from Anglo-French fleume, flume, flegme (continental Old French flegme), borrowed from Late Latin phlegmat-, phlegma, borrowed from Greek phlegmat-, phlégma "flame, fire, inflammation, one of the four humors, white or colorless body secretion (as mucus, saliva)," from phleg-, stem of phlégein "to burn up, consume, kindle, fire up, (intransitive) blaze, gleam" + -mat-, -ma, resultative noun suffix; *phleg- going back to Indo-European *b^hleg- "shine, be bright," whence also, with varying ablaut, Germanic *blak- "flash, shine, burn" (see black entry 1), Latin fulgō, fulgere, later fulgeō, fulgēre "to shine brightly, flash, lighten" (< *b^hl̥g-), Tocharian B palkäṃ "shines," pälketär "burns, glows"

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

phlegm

noun

ˈflem 

1

: thick mucus produced in abnormal quantity in the respiratory passages

2

a

: cold indifference

b

: calm fortitude

phlegmy

ˈflem-ē 

adjective

Medical Definition

phlegm

noun

ˈflem 

1

: viscid mucus secreted in abnormal quantity in the respiratory passages

2

: the one of the four humors (see humor sense 2) of ancient and medieval physiology that was believed to be cold and moist and to cause lethargy and dullness