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influenza

   Also found in: Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
in·flu·en·za  (nfl-nz)
n.
1. An acute contagious viral infection characterized by inflammation of the respiratory tract and by fever, chills, muscular pain, and prostration. Also called grippe.
2. Any of various viral infections of domestic animals characterized generally by fever and respiratory involvement.

[Italian, from Medieval Latin nfluentia, influence (so called apparently from the belief that epidemics were due to the influence of the stars); see influence.]

influ·enzal adj.

influenza
Noun
a highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, muscular pains, and catarrh [Italian: influence, hence incursion, epidemic]

influenza  (nfl-nz)
A highly contagious infectious disease that is caused by any of various viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae and is characterized by fever, respiratory symptoms, fatigue, and muscle pain. It commonly occurs in epidemics, one of which killed 20 million people between 1917 and 1919.
Word History Since ancient times, influenza has periodically swept the world. Until recently, people could not tell how this illness, which we call the flu, could spread so widely. Before people knew that organisms cause disease, they thought the stars influenced the spread of influenza. Influenza comes ultimately from the Latin word influentia, meaning "influence of the stars." Today, however, the stars are no longer blamed for the flu. Inhaling influenza viruses causes the spread of the illness.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.influenzainfluenza - an acute febrile highly contagious viral disease
contagion, contagious disease - any disease easily transmitted by contact
Asian influenza, Asiatic flu - influenza caused by the Asian virus that was first isolated in 1957
swine flu, swine influenza - an acute and highly contagious respiratory disease of swine caused by the orthomyxovirus thought to be the same virus that caused the 1918 influenza pandemic
respiratory disease, respiratory disorder, respiratory illness - a disease affecting the respiratory system
Translations
influenza [ɪnfluˈɛnzə] ngripe f

influenza [ɪnfluˈɛnzə] ngrippe f

influenza [ɪnfluˈɛnzə] n (Med) → Grippe f

influenza [ɪnfluˈɛnzə] n (MED) → influenza

influenza
n influenza [influˈenzə]
a type of infectious illness usually causing headache, fever, a cold etc. griep إنفلونزا، نَزْلَه грип chřipka influenza die Grippe γρίπη gripe gripp آنفلونزا influenssa grippe שַׁפַּעַת भारी नजला gripa influenza selesma inflúensa, flensa influenza インフルエンザ 유행성 독감 gripas gripa demam selesema griep influensa grypa gripe gripă грипп chrípka gripa grip influensa โรคไข้หวัดใหญ่ grip, influanza 流行性感冒 інфлюенца, грип متعدی وائرس سے پھیلنے والا نزلہ ، بخار bệnh cúm 流行


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
The lucky alarm of an influenza decided what might not have been decided quite so soon.
A sudden outbreak of a virulent type of influenza at the Glen and down at the fishing village kept Gilbert so busy for the next fortnight that he had no time to pay the promised visit to Captain Jim.
He did not, however, mean thereby that his former disorders were troubling him, but that he was suffering from a severe attack of influenza which he had caught in Santa Margherita, and which tormented him for several weeks after his arrival in Genoa.
 
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