noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK, US:/flɛm/
obsolete:/fliːm/
Early, Modern:/flɛːm/
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛm
CMU ARPABET:F L EH1 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
One of the four humors making up the body in ancient and mediaeval medicine; said to be cold and moist, and often identified with mucus.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Viscid mucus produced by the body, later especially mucus expelled from the bronchial passages by coughing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A watery distillation, especially one obtained from plant matter; an aqueous solution.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
expectorated matter; saliva mixed with discharges from the respiratory passages; in ancient and medieval physiology it was believed to cause sluggishness
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sputum
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: mucus, mucous secretion
7
noun
Meaning 7
apathy demonstrated by an absence of emotional reactions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
From Middle English flewme, fleume, fleme, from Old French fleume, Middle French flemme (French flegme), and their source, Latin phlegma, from Ancient Greek φλέγμα (phlégma, “flame; inflammation; clammy humor in the body”), from φλέγειν (phlégein, “to burn”). Possible burning sensation when coughing up phlegm. Compare phlox, flagrant, flame, bleak (adjective), fulminate. Spelling later altered to resemble the word's Latin and Greek roots. The regularly developed form /fliːm/ has been displaced by a pronunciation /flɛm/ of uncertain provenance. It may be inherited, though some kind of learned or spelling pronunciation or influence from phlegmatic is also conceivable.
Across languages
Translations
170 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
بَلْغَم
(balḡam)
— historical: humour
Catalan:
flegma
— historical: humour
Finnish:
lima
— historical: humour
French:
flegme
— historical: humour
French:
pituite
— historical: humour
Galician:
flegma
— historical: humour
German:
Phlegma
— historical: humour
Ancient Greek:
φλέγμα
(phlégma)
— historical: humour
Hebrew:
לֵחָה
(lekha)
— historical: humour
Latin:
pītuīta
— historical: humour
Persian:
بلغم
(balġam)
— historical: humour
Portuguese:
fleuma
— historical: humour
Portuguese:
flegma
— historical: humour
Russian:
фле́гма
(flégma)
— historical: humour
Spanish:
flegma
— historical: humour
Spanish:
flema
— historical: humour
Tagalog:
plema
— historical: humour
Arabic:
بَلْغَم
(balḡam)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Arabic:
قُشَاعَة
(qušāʕa)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Arabic:
بلغم
(balğam)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Armenian:
խորխ
(xorx)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Assamese:
খেঁকাৰ
(khẽkar)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Azerbaijani:
bəlğəm
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Bashkir:
ҡаҡырыҡ
(qaqırıq)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Belarusian:
макро́та
(makróta)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Belarusian:
харко́ціна
(xarkócina)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Belarusian:
слізь
(slizʹ)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Bulgarian:
хра́чки
(hráčki)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Bulgarian:
слуз
(sluz)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Burmese:
သလိပ်
(sa.lip)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Burmese:
အချွဲ
(a.hkywai:)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Catalan:
flegma
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Catalan:
gargall
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Cebuano:
plema
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Cebuano:
kughal
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Chinese Mandarin:
痰
(tán)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Czech:
hlen
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Czech:
sopel
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Czech:
sliz
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Danish:
slim
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Dutch:
slijm
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Finnish:
lima
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
French:
glaire
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Galician:
flegma
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Galician:
gargallo
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Galician:
esgarro
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Georgian:
ლორწო
(lorc̣o)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Georgian:
ლორწოვანი ნახველი
(lorc̣ovani naxveli)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Georgian:
ნახველი
(naxveli)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
German:
Schleim
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
German:
Nasenschleim
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
German:
Popel
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Greek:
φλέματα
(flémata)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Ancient Greek:
φλέγμα
(phlégma)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Hebrew:
לֵחָה
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Hebrew:
כִּיחַ
(ki'akh)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Hindi:
बलग़म
(balġam)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Hindi:
बलगम
(balgam)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Hindi:
कफ
(kaph)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Hindi:
श्लेष्मा
(śleṣmā)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Icelandic:
öndunarfæraslím
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Icelandic:
kvefslím
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Ilocano:
turkak
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Indonesian:
dahak
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Irish:
réama
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Italian:
espettorato
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Japanese:
痰
(tan)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Kapampangan:
badlo
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Kazakh:
қақырық
(qaqyryq)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Khmer:
ស្លេស្ម
(slaeh)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Khmer:
សេមហកលា
(seemhaʼkaʼlaa)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Kikuyu:
kohozi
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Kikuyu:
makorora
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Korean:
가래
(garae)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Kyrgyz:
какырык
(kakırık)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Lao:
ສເລດ
(sa lēt)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Lao:
ອາກ
(ʼāk)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Latin:
pītuīta
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Lithuanian:
skrepliai
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Macedonian:
слуз
(sluz)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Malay:
kahak
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Māori:
wharo
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Māori:
wharowharo
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Māori:
mare
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Māori:
maremare
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Mongolian:
цэр
(cer)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Mongolian:
салс
(sals)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Mongolian:
ᠴᠡᠷ
(čer)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Mongolian:
ᠰᠠᠯᠢᠰᠤ
(salisu)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Muna:
feaghi
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Navajo:
chátłʼish
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Norwegian Bokmål:
slim
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Norwegian Nynorsk:
slim
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Ojibwe:
agig
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Pashto:
بلغم
(balǧam)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Persian:
بلغم
(balġam)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Polish:
śluz
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Polish:
flegma
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Portuguese:
catarro
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Romanian:
flegmă
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Russian:
мокро́та
(mokróta)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Russian:
слизь
(slizʹ)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Russian:
фле́гма
(flégma)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Sanskrit:
श्लेष्मन्
(śleṣman)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Sanskrit:
कफ
(kapha)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Sanskrit:
खट
(khaṭa)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Serbo-Croatian:
слу̑з
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Serbo-Croatian:
slȗz
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Slovak:
hlien
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Slovak:
sliz
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Slovene:
sluz
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Southern Altai:
какырык
(kakïrïk)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Spanish:
flema
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Spanish:
sheta
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Spanish:
flegma
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Spanish:
gargajo
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Spanish:
esputo
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Swahili:
kohozi
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Swedish:
slem
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Tagalog:
kalaghala
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Tagalog:
kanaghala
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Tagalog:
kanighala
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Tagalog:
plema
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Tajik:
балғам
(balġam)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Tamil:
சளி
(caḷi)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Thai:
เสลด
(sà-lèet)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Thai:
เสมหะ
(sěem-hà)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Thai:
สิ่งขาก
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Tibetan:
ལུད་པ
(lud pa)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Turkish:
balgam
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Ottoman Turkish:
بلغم
(belgam)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Turkmen:
gakylyk
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Ukrainian:
мокроти́ння
(mokrotýnnja)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Ukrainian:
мокро́та
(mokróta)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Ukrainian:
харкоти́ння
(xarkotýnnja)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Ukrainian:
слиз
(slyz)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Urdu:
بلغم
(balġam)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Uyghur:
بەلغەم
(belghem)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Uyghur:
خەپرۈك
(xeprük)
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Uzbek:
balgʻam
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages
Vietnamese:
đờm
— mucus secreted in the bronchial passages