flu

[ floo ]

noun

1. influenza.
2. a specific variety of influenza, usually named for its point of dissemination or its animal vector:

   Hong Kong flu; swine flu.

flu

/ fluː /

noun

1. the flu
   short for influenza
2. any of various viral infections, esp a respiratory or intestinal infection

flu

/ flo̅o̅ /

1. See influenza

Word History and Origins

Origin of flu¹

First recorded in 1830–40; shortened form

Example Sentences

Didn’t he remember Michael Jordan’s flu game from the previous spring, when the Chicago Bulls superstar scored 38 points in the NBA Finals?

From Los Angeles Times

The bird flu crisis, driven by the H5N1 virus, began several years ago, but ramped up considerably in April when dairy cows started becoming infected.

From Salon

Several players already fought through the sickness last Saturday, among them running back Woody Marks, who rushed for a career-high 146 yards even as he struggled to breathe because of flu.

From Los Angeles Times

A bird flu outbreak has been confirmed at a commercial poultry farm in Cornwall.

From BBC

As H5N1 bird flu spreads among California dairy herds and southward-migrating birds, health officials announced Friday that six more human cases of infection: five in California and one in Oregon — the state’s first.

From Los Angeles Times

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