A variant spelling of phlegm, the thick mucus produced in the respiratory system, especially when someone has a cold or cough.
From Middle English flegme, derived from Old French flegme, ultimately from Greek phlegma meaning 'inflammation' or 'burning heat.' The word originally referred to one of the four humors in medieval medicine before being applied to the mucus substance itself.
Medieval doctors thought phlegm was one of four essential bodily humors, and they believed too much of it made you sluggish and dull—which is why 'phlegmatic' means calm and unemotional! The spelling 'flegm' shows how English pronunciation changed while some people stuck with older spellings.
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