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

Canadian health officials announced Tuesday that a teenager infected with H5N1 bird flu from an unknown source is in critical condition.

From Los Angeles Times

The teen is the first presumptive case of H5N1 bird flu in Canada.

From Los Angeles Times

She noted that since the late 1990s, when this current strain of bird flu originated in China’s Guangdong Province, the fatality rate was close to 60%.

From Los Angeles Times

Although California dairy farmers anticipated a bird flu mortality rate of less than 2%, some say between 10% and 15% of infected cattle are dying.

From Los Angeles Times

Nuzzo said there are other hypotheses — which she stressed are just hypotheses — including one that posits people who were exposed to the H1N1 swine flu outbreak in 2009 may have acquired some immunity to the “N1” part of the virus.

From Los Angeles Times

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