" phlegm "

[Noun]  | "phlegm" | \ ˈflem \

1: viscid mucus secreted in abnormal quantity in the respiratory passages

2: the one of the four humors in ancient and medieval physiology that was believed to be cold and moist and to cause lethargy and dullness

3: dull or apathetic coldness or indifference

Origin: 13th century ;

 Middle English fleume, fleem, flemne "one of the four humors, temperament in which this humor is predominant (alleged to cause indolence or stolidity), bodily discharge, mucus," borrowed from Anglo-French fleume, flume, flegme (continental Old French flegme), borrowed from Late Latin phlegmat-, phlegma, borrowed from Greek phlegmat-, phlégma "flame, fire, inflammation, one of the four humors, white or colorless body secretion (as mucus, saliva)," from phleg-, stem of phlégein "to burn up, consume, kindle, fire up, (intransitive) blaze, gleam" + -mat-, -ma, resultative noun suffix; *phleg- going back to Indo-European *bhleg- "shine, be bright," whence also, with varying ablaut, Germanic *blak- "flash, shine, burn" (see: {see: |black:1|black:1}), Latin fulgō, fulgere, later fulgeō, fulgēre "to shine brightly, flash, lighten" (< *bhl̥g-), Tocharian B palkäṃ "shines," pälketär "burns, glows";

[Noun]  | "phlegm"