Phlegm

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /flɛm/

Definitions

1. Thick, sticky mucus secreted in the respiratory passages, especially when someone has a cold or other respiratory infection
2. A thick, viscous secretion produced by the mucous membranes that collects in the throat or lungs during respiratory conditions, often indicating illness or irritation
3. A thick and viscous substance produced in the respiratory system that accumulates particularly when one is ill or has an infection causing throat or lung irritations

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "phlegm" is that its ancient meaning was fire. The Greek "phlégma" meant "flame" or "inflammation," and it came from "phlégein," "to burn." Ancient physicians nonetheless placed it among the four bodily humors, where it was the cold, wet one. The usual explanation for the link is that coughing up thick mucus produces a burning sensation in the throat, so a word for burning ended up naming the stuff that caused it. The word reached English through Old French "fleume" and Middle French "flemme," and Middle English spellings such as "flewme" and "fleme" show it was once pronounced much like its ancestors. The spelling "phlegm" was later altered to look more like the Latin and Greek roots, but the pronunciation shifted too. The regular development would have given /fliːm/, yet the modern /flɛm/ has displaced it, and its origin is uncertain. It is recorded from the late 1700s and is probably older. The word also shares roots with "flame," "flagrant," and "phlox," all drawn from the same Greek verb for burning.

Synonyms: mucus, sputum, slime