phlegm: Meaning and Definition of

phlegm

1. the thick mucus secreted in the respiratory passages and discharged through the mouth, esp. that occurring in the lungs and throat passages, as during a cold.
2. one of the four elemental bodily humors of medieval physiology, regarded as causing sluggishness or apathy.
3. sluggishness, indifference, or apathy.
4. self-possession, calmness, or composure.