What does "phlegm" mean?
Phlegm: (Physiol.) Viscid mucus secreted in abnormal quantity in the respiratory and digestive passages.
Additional senses
- 2.(Old Chem.) A watery distilled liquor, in distinction from a spirituous liquor. Crabb.
- 3.Sluggishness of temperament; dullness; want of interest; indifference; coldness. They judge with fury, but they write with phlegm. Pope.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00