| / English Dictionary |
PHLEGM
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy
Example:
the general appearance of sluggishness alarmed his friends
Synonyms:
flatness; languor; lethargy; phlegm; sluggishness
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("phlegm" is a kind of...):
inactiveness; inactivity; inertia (a disposition to remain inactive or inert)
Derivation:
phlegmatic; phlegmatical (showing little emotion)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Expectorated matter; saliva mixed with discharges from the respiratory passages; in ancient and medieval physiology it was believed to cause sluggishness
Synonyms:
phlegm; sputum
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("phlegm" is a kind of...):
mucous secretion; mucus (protective secretion of the mucous membranes; in the gut it lubricates the passage of food and protects the epithelial cells; in the nose and throat and lungs it can make it difficult for bacteria to penetrate the body through the epithelium)
Derivation:
phlegmy (characterized by phlegm)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Apathy demonstrated by an absence of emotional reactions
Synonyms:
emotionlessness; impassiveness; impassivity; indifference; phlegm; stolidity; unemotionality
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Hypernyms ("phlegm" is a kind of...):
apathy (an absence of emotion or enthusiasm)
Derivation:
phlegmatic; phlegmatical (showing little emotion)
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