flu
Americannoun
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a specific variety of influenza, usually named for its point of dissemination or its animal vector.
Hong Kong flu; swine flu.
noun
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short for influenza
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any of various viral infections, esp a respiratory or intestinal infection
Etymology
Origin of flu
First recorded in 1830–40; shortened form
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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.
Nearly 11 million people have become sick from the flu so far this season, according to new data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths.
From Salon
Christmas gatherings may have caused a resurgence in flu and other winter viruses, NHS leaders say.
From BBC
The child, whose age and name were not released by authorities, is the second flu death in San Mateo County this season, officials say.
From Los Angeles Times
The CDC has reported nine pediatric deaths in the current flu season.
From Salon
Vaccines for meningitis, hepatitis A and B, dengue, flu, Covid and RSV will now be recommended only for “high-risk” children, or be left to “shared clinical decision-making” between doctors and parents.
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.
