swine flu
Americannoun
-
a form of influenza that afflicts pigs.
-
a form of influenza that afflicts humans by infection with a virus once thought to be very similar to the influenza virus found in North American pigs.
Etymology
Origin of swine flu
First recorded in 1920–25
Compare meaning
How does swine-flu compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There have been nine such declarations, including the Ebola outbreak in 2013, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the swine flu pandemic in 2009.
From MarketWatch • May 17, 2026
During the flu season that ended in September, 280 children died from flu — the most since the swine flu pandemic season of 2009-10.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025
For example, when H1N1, also known as swine flu, emerged in Mexico in the spring of 2009, tens of thousands of mild cases went undetected, causing health authorities to overestimate the severity of the disease.
From Salon • Jul. 23, 2024
The initial cause of it can be traced back to 2009 and the swine flu pandemic.
From BBC • Jul. 18, 2024
It’s like they have the swine flu and are trying to avoid germs.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
