| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
| |
| influenza |
| |
| SYLLABICATION: | in·flu·en·za |
| PRONUNCIATION: |   n fl - n z |
| NOUN: | 1. An acute contagious viral infection characterized by inflammation of the respiratory tract and by fever, chills, muscular pain, and prostration. Also called grippe. 2. Any of various viral infections of domestic animals characterized generally by fever and respiratory involvement. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Italian, from Medieval Latin  nfluentia, influence (so called apparently from the belief that epidemics were due to the influence of the stars). See influence. | | OTHER FORMS: | influ·enzal —ADJECTIVE
| | |
| |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
|
|
