- the flu ⇒
short for influenza any of various viral infections, esp a respiratory or intestinal infection
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
flu /flu/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable* often: the + ~]
-flu-, root.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Pathologyinfluenza.
-flu-, root.
- -flu- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "flow.'' This meaning is found in such words as: affluence, affluent, confluence, flu, fluctuate, flue, fluent, fluid, flume, fluoride, flux, influence, influenza.
flu
(flo̅o̅),USA pronunciation n.
- Pathologyinfluenza.
- Pathologya specific variety of influenza, usually named for its point of dissemination or its animal vector:Hong Kong flu; swine flu.
- shortened form 1830–40
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'flu' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Asian flu
- Newtonian fluid
- affluence
- affluent
- amniotic fluid
- avian flu
- bird flu
- blue flu
- brake fluid
- cerebrospinal fluid
- chronic fatigue syndrome
- clipped form
- come
- confluent
- correction fluid
- cutting fluid
- down
- drilling mud
- effluence
- effluent
- enflurane
- flucytosine
- fluent
- fluid
- fluid coupling
- fluid dram
- fluid drive
- fluid dynamics
- fluid mechanics
- fluid ounce
- fluid pressure
- fluidize
- fluoboric acid
- fluophosphoric acid
- fluorescein
- fluorspar
- fluosilicic acid
- fluphenazine
- flurazepam
- flügelhorn
- go about
- hydraulic fluid
- influenza
- intestinal flu
- isoflurane
- jab
- lighter fluid
- mellifluous
- methoxyflurane
- mild