Browse Nearby Entries


phlegm
1 dictionary results for: phlegmless
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
phlegm
[flem]
–noun
| 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, indifference, or apathy. |
| 4. | self-possession, calmness, or composure. |
Origin:
1350–1400; ME fleem < MF flemme < LL phlegma < Gk phlégma flame, phlegmatic humor, equiv. to phlég(ein) to burn + -ma resultative n. suffix
1350–1400; ME fleem < MF flemme < LL phlegma < Gk phlégma flame, phlegmatic humor, equiv. to phlég(ein) to burn + -ma resultative n. suffix

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2008, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.









