Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
flowerbed
flowerer
floweret
flowering
flowering ash
flowering currant
flowering dogwood
flowering maple
flowering plant
flowering quince
flowering wintergreen
flowerpiercer
flowerpot
flowers
flowery
flowing water
flowmeter
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "flu" in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

flu

flu [ floo ] (plural flus)


noun 
Definition:
 
widespread viral illness: a viral illness producing a high temperature, sore throat, running nose, headache, dry cough, and muscle pain. The illness is widespread, especially during winter months, and can sometimes be fatal.
Technical name  influenza


[Mid-19th century. Shortening of influenza]

flu·like adjective

Spelling Note

flu, flue, or flew? Do not confuse the spelling of flu, flue, and flew, which sound similar. The nouns flu and flue are probably the most likely to be confused: Flu is an illness, whereas a flue is a smoke or heat outlet or a type of organ pipe. Flew is the past tense of the verb fly: Time flew past.

Advertisement

Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
MSN Shopping
Encarta RSS Feeds
© 2008 Microsoft