influenza

[in-floo-en-zuh]

noun

1. Pathology.,  an acute, commonly epidemic disease, occurring in several forms, caused by numerous rapidly mutating viral strains and characterized by respiratory symptoms and general prostration.

2. Veterinary Pathology.,  an acute, contagious disease occurring in horses and swine, characterized by fever, depression, and catarrhal inflammations of the eyes, nasal passages, and bronchi, and caused by a virus.

influenza

/ ˌɪnflʊˈɛnzə /

noun

1. Also called: grippe.  flu. informal,  a highly contagious and often epidemic viral disease characterized by fever, prostration, muscular aches and pains, and inflammation of the respiratory passages

influenza

1. 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.

influenza

1. Commonly called the flu; an acute and infectious disease of the respiratory system caused by a virus and characterized by fever, muscle pain, headache, and inflammation of the mucous membranes in the respiratory tract.

Other Word Forms

• influenzal adjective
• influenzalike adjective
• postinfluenzal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of influenza¹

1735–45; < Italian < Medieval Latin influentia influence

Word History and Origins

Origin of influenza¹

C18: from Italian, literally: _influence , hence, incursion, epidemic (first applied to influenza in 1743)

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.

Example Sentences

Universal vaccines are urgently needed to provide broader protection against ever-changing respiratory viruses, such as influenza, that are major pandemic threats.

From Salon

In 2023 the most common causes of avoidable death in people with learning disabilities were influenza, pneumonia, cancers of the digestive tract and heart disease.

From BBC

Among the recorded causes of death were measles, whooping cough, influenza, tuberculosis and bronchitis.

From BBC

“The risk from influenza is so much greater than the nonexistent risk as far as we know from thimerosal,” he said, per the New York Times.

From Salon

The influenza division at the CDC lost staff to probationary firings as well as on Valentine's Day when further staff were fired en masse.

From Salon

Related Words

• contagion 
• curse 
• epidemic 
• infection 
• infestation 
• invasion 
• outbreak 
• pandemic 
• scourge