influenza
/,influ'enzə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- An acute febrile highly contagious viral disease: "Influenza" refers to a common, infectious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses, characterized by sudden onset of fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, and fatigue.
Usage
- "Influenza" is a formal and medical term, often shortened in everyday conversation to "the flu." It is typically used as a non-count noun (e.g., "She has influenza") but can be used with an article when referring to a specific type or outbreak (e.g., "an influenza pandemic").
Examples
- Noun:
- The hospital is seeing many cases of influenza this winter.
- Annual vaccination is recommended to protect against seasonal influenza.
- The 1918 influenza pandemic was one of the deadliest in history.
Advanced Usage
- "Avian influenza": a type of influenza that originates in birds.
- The spread of avian influenza is a concern for both animal and human health.
- "Influenza-like illness (ILI)": a clinical diagnosis for a set of symptoms similar to influenza.
- Patients presenting with fever and cough are often categorized as having an influenza-like illness.
Variants and Related Words
- Flu (n): the common, informal short form of "influenza."
- I stayed home because I had the flu.
- Influenzal (adj): relating to or affected by influenza.
- The patient showed typical influenzal symptoms.
Synonyms
- Flu: the common synonym.
- Grippe: an older, less common term for influenza.
Related Phrases
- To catch (the) influenza/flu: to become infected with the illness.
- He caught influenza from a coworker.
- Influenza season: the period of the year when influenza viruses circulate most widely.
- Doctors prepare for an influx of patients during influenza season.
Related Idioms
- To be laid up with the flu: to be confined to bed due to influenza.
- She was laid up with the flu for a full week.
Noun
- an acute febrile highly contagious viral disease