phlegm
Pronunciation: /flɛm/
noun
- the thick viscous substance secreted by the mucous membranes of the respiratory passages, especially when produced in excessive quantities during a cold.
- (in medieval science and medicine) one of the four bodily humours, believed to be associated with a calm, stolid, or apathetic temperament.
- calmness of temperament: phlegm and determination carried them through many difficult situations
Origin:
Middle English fleem, fleume, from Old French fleume, from late Latin phlegma 'clammy moisture (of the body)', from Greek phlegma 'inflammation', from phlegein 'to burn'. The spelling change in the 16th century was due to association with the Latin and Greek
Spelling help
Remember that phlegm is spelled with a g before the m, although it is not heard when you say the word.