flu
Americannoun
-
a specific variety of influenza, usually named for its point of dissemination or its animal vector.
Hong Kong flu; swine flu.
noun
-
short for influenza
-
any of various viral infections, esp a respiratory or intestinal infection
Etymology
Origin of flu
First recorded in 1830–40; shortened form
Compare meaning
How does 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.
"We're not talking about flu or Covid, where the virus designs itself to be spread through coughing and sneezing," he said.
From BBC
For many, Norris became less a traditional Hollywood star and more a cultural punchline — the subject of viral jokes like, “The flu gets a Chuck Norris shot every year.”
From MarketWatch
For many, Norris became less a traditional Hollywood star and more a cultural punchline — the subject of viral jokes like, “The flu gets a Chuck Norris shot every year.”
From MarketWatch
And: “The flu gets a Chuck Norris shot every year.”
"It is certainly not as infective as say flu or COVID-19, and requires often fairly prolonged close contact before transmission takes place," said Andrew Lee, Professor of Public Health at the University of Sheffield.
From Barron's
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.
