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Phlegm vs Cough - What's the difference?

phlegm | cough |

As nouns the difference between phlegm and cough

is that phlegm is (historical) one of the four humors making up the body in ancient and mediaeval medicine; said to be cold and moist, and often identified with mucus while cough is a sudden, usually noisy expulsion of air from the lungs, often involuntary.

As a verb cough is

to push air from the lungs in a quick, noisy explosion.

phlegm

English

(wikipedia phlegm)

Noun

(en-noun)
  • (historical) One of the four humors making up the body in ancient and mediaeval medicine; said to be cold and moist, and often identified with mucus.
  • * 1993 , William Dalrymple, City of Djinns , HarperCollins 1993:
    • Each person's unique mixture of these substances determines his temperament: a predominance of blood gives a sanguine temperament; a predominance of phlegm makes one phlegmatic; yellow bile, bilious (or choleric); and black bile, melancholic.
  • Viscid mucus produced by the body, later especially mucus expelled from the bronchial passages by coughing.
  • * 2005 , "Endangered Species?" Hannah Beech, Time , 14 Nov 2005:
    • "Even some members of the new bourgeoisie indulge in conspicuously boorish behavior, like hawking phlegm onto the pavement or picking their noses at business meetings."
  • (historical, chemistry, alchemy) A watery distillation, especially one obtained from plant matter; an aqueous solution.
  • Calmness of temperament, composure; also seen negatively, sluggishness, indifference.
  • * 1942 , "Warning to Sweden", Time , 5 Oct 1942:
    • But Swedish Nazis also talked of the necessity of saving Sweden from Bolshevism, and with the menacing Berlin radio gnawing in their ears many Swedes lost their Scandinavian phlegm .

    Related terms

    * phlegmatic * phlegmy

    cough

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To push air from the lungs in a quick, noisy explosion.
  • * , chapter=3
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=One saint's day in mid-term a certain newly appointed suffragan-bishop came to the school chapel, and there preached on “The Inner Life.”  He at once secured attention by his informal method, and when presently the cough'ing of Jarvis […] interrupted the sermon, he altogether captivated his audience with a remark about ' cough lozenges being cheap and easily procurable.}}
  • * , title=(Jeeves in the Offing)
    • , section=chapter XI , passage=I drew a deep breath, and a moment later wished I hadn't, because I drew it while drinking the remains of my gin and tonic. “Does Kipper know of this?“ I said, when I had finished coughing .}}
  • To make a noise like a cough.

    • Derived terms

    * cougher * cough up

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A sudden, usually noisy expulsion of air from the lungs, often involuntary.
    • Behind me, I heard a distinct, dry cough .
  • A condition that causes one to cough; a tendency to cough.
    • Sorry, I can't come to work today – I've got a nasty cough .
    • He was – cough – indisposed.

    Hyponyms

    * barking cough * churchyard cough * congested cough * dry cough * hacking cough * loose cough * non-productive cough * productive cough * smoker's cough * wet cough

    Derived terms

    * cough mixture * cough syrup * whooping cough