Dictionary

phlegm en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /fliːm/ (obsolete)
• (UK) audio
• /flɛːm/ (Early, Modern)
• /flɛm/ (UK, US)

Etymology

From Middle English flewme, fleume, fleme, from Old French fleume, Middle French flemme (French flegme), and their source, Latin phlegma, from Ancient Greek φλέγμα (phlégma, “flame; inflammation; clammy humor in the body”), from φλέγειν (phlégein, “to burn”). Possible burning sensation when coughing up phlegm. Compare phlox, flagrant, flame, bleak (adjective), fulminate. Spelling later altered to resemble the word's Latin and Greek roots. The regularly developed form /fliːm/ has been displaced by a pronunciation /flɛm/ of uncertain provenance. It may be inherited, though some kind of learned or spelling pronunciation or influence from phlegmatic is also conceivable.

Meanings

1. (historical, uncountable, usually) 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.
   • Each person's unique mixture of these substances determines his temperament: a predominance of blood gives a sanguine temperament; a predominance of phlegm makes one phlegmatic; yellow bile, bilious (or choleric); and black bile, melancholic. 1993, William Dalrymple, City of Djinns, HarperCollins:
2. (uncountable, usually) Viscid mucus produced by the body, later especially mucus expelled from the bronchial passages by coughing.
   • Even some members of the new bourgeoisie indulge in conspicuously boorish behavior, like hawking phlegm onto the pavement or picking their noses at business meetings. 2005, "Endangered Species?" Hannah Beech, Time, 14 Nov 2005
3. (historical, uncountable, usually) A watery distillation, especially one obtained from plant matter; an aqueous solution.
   • The attempts made to analyse vegetable substances previous to 1720, merely produced their resolution into the supposed elements of the chemists of those days, namely, salts, Earths, phlegm, and sulphur. 1812, Humphry Davy, The Elements of Chemical Philosophy, Introduction, Part I. Vol. I, pp. 50-51:
4. (uncountable, usually) Calmness of temperament, composure; also seen negatively, sluggishness, indifference.
   • But Swedish Nazis also talked of the necessity of saving Sweden from Bolshevism, and with the menacing Berlin radio gnawing in their ears many Swedes lost their Scandinavian phlegm. 1942 October 5, “Warning to Sweden”, in Time:
   • Orloff's phlegm broke completely, and he snatched at the monocle as it dropped[.] 1941, Isaac Asimov, The Early Asimov, Volume 2, published 1974, page 180:

Forms

Deriveds

phlegm-cutter · flob · phlegmish · phlegmy · leucophlegmacy · dephlegm · phlegmless

Relateds

phlegmatic · phlegmon

Translations (172)

pl śluz (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · fa بلغم (historical: humour) · ky какырык (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · hi श्लेष्मा (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ug خەپرۈك (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · is rólyndi (calmness, composure) · mn салс (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · sl sluz (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · sv slem (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · fr flegme (historical: humour) · tl plema (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · tl kanighala (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · is öndunarfæraslím (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · mi wharowharo (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · sh slȗz (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · tg балғам (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · pt fleuma (historical: humour) · tl kalaghala (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · he כִּיחַ (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · az bəlğəm (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · de Nasenschleim (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · sw kohozi (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · sa कफ (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ka ფლეგმატურობა (calmness, composure) · es esputo (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · grc φλέγμα (historical: humour) · pam badlo (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ja 冷静さ (calmness, composure) · de Schleim (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · tk gakylyk (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ota بلغم (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · gl flegma (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · tl kanaghala (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ru слизь (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ki kohozi (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · fr pituite (historical: humour) · de Gemütsruhe (calmness, composure) · el φλέγμα (calmness, composure) · es gargajo (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · grc φλέγμα (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · de Phlegma (historical: humour) · es sheta (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ar بَلْغَم (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · bo ལུད་པ (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ka ლორწო (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · pt fleuma (calmness, composure) · be макро́та (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · gl cachaza (calmness, composure) · mi maremare (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ka ნახველი (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · sk hlien (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · pl flegma (calmness, composure) · ceb kughal (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · pt flegma (historical: humour) · hi बलग़म (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ga fuarchúis (calmness, composure) · ca gargall (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · fi tyyneys (calmness, composure) · ru флегмати́чность (calmness, composure) · ru фле́гма (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · cs sliz (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · mn цэр (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · de Gleichmut (calmness, composure) · nn slim (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · pl flegma (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ar قُشَاعَة (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · pl flegma (historical: humour) · bg флегмати́чност (calmness, composure) · ms kahak (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ug بەلغەم (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · lt skrepliai (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · gl flegma (historical: humour) · mi mare (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · he לֵחָה (historical: humour) · sk sliz (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ki makorora (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · la pītuīta (historical: humour) · th เสลด (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · de stoische Ruhe (calmness, composure) · de Trägheit (calmness, composure) · ka გულგრილობა (calmness, composure) · sa श्लेष्मन् (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ga réama (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ta சளி (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · is deyfð (calmness, composure) · be харко́ціна (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · kk қақырық (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · cmn 痰 (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · it flemma (calmness, composure) · id dahak (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · gl gargallo (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ka აუღელვებლობა (calmness, composure) · fi flegma (calmness, composure) · gl esgarro (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · vi đờm (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ur بلغم (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · tr balgam (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · th สิ่งขาก (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · hi कफ (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · el φλέματα (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · mnb feaghi (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · bg му́дност (calmness, composure) · as খেঁকাৰ (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · he לֵחָה (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · it espettorato (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · es flema (calmness, composure) · es flegma (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · da slim (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · sa खट (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · es flegma (historical: humour) · fi lima (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · km ស្លេស្ម (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ilo turkak (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · de Schwerfälligkeit (calmness, composure) · la pītuīta (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · lo ສເລດ (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · tl plema (historical: humour) · ka სიმშვიდე (calmness, composure) · uk мокро́та (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ro flegmă (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ko 가래 (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · bg хра́чки (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · nv chátłʼish (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · is kvefslím (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · alt какырык (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ru фле́гма (calmness, composure) · oj agig (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · fr glaire (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ps بلغم (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · es flegma (calmness, composure) · ar بَلْغَم (historical: humour) · my အချွဲ (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · my သလိပ် (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · de Phlegma (calmness, composure) · uk харкоти́ння (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · de Popel (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · bg слуз (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · sh слу̑з (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · fa بلغم (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · hi बलगम (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · mi wharo (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ceb plema (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · hy խորխ (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · th เสมหะ (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · es flema (historical: humour) · nl slijm (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · arz بلغم (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ca flegma (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · fr flegme (calmness, composure) · ca flegma (calmness, composure) · lo ອາກ (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · fi lima (historical: humour) · cs hlen (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · uk мокроти́ння (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · mn ᠴᠡᠷ (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · nb slim (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · uz balgʻam (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · pt catarro (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · mn ᠰᠠᠯᠢᠰᠤ (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ja 痰 (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · es flema (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · km សេមហកលា (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · mk слуз (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · gl flegma (calmness, composure) · cs sopel (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · uk слиз (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ca flegma (historical: humour) · ru мокро́та (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ru фле́гма (historical: humour) · be слізь (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ka ლორწოვანი ნახველი (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages) · ba ҡаҡырыҡ (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages)