To remove phlegm or mucus from the body, especially through medical treatment.
From de- (remove) + phlegm (excess mucus or coldness of temperament, from Greek phlegma meaning 'inflammation'). Used in medieval and early modern medicine.
In medieval medicine, doctors believed the body had four humors, and 'phlegm' wasn't just mucus—it was one of these humors, and too much made you sluggish, so dephlegming was actually considered real medicine.
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