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

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

Researchers have identified new roles for a protein long known to protect against severe flu infection -- among them, raising the minimum number of viral particles needed to cause sickness.

From Science Daily

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

In other areas of public health, Trump has said he “probably would” disband the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, even as the country is facing a mounting threat from bird flu.

From Los Angeles Times

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