swine flu
[ swahyn-floo ]
/ ˈswaɪn ˈflu /
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noun Pathology.
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.
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See also H1N1.
Origin of swine flu
First recorded in 1920–25
Words nearby swine flu
swindler, swindle sheet, Swindon, swine, swine fever, swine flu, swineherd, swine influenza, swine plague, swinepox, swine's cress
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for swine flu
Scientific definitions for swine flu
swine flu
[ swīn ]
A highly contagious form of influenza seen in swine, caused by a virus of the family Orthomyxoviridae. The infection is communicable to humans and caused a worldwide epidemic in 1918.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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