phlegm

Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

phlegm BrE [flem] NAmE [flem] noun uncountable
1. the thick substance that forms in the nose and throat, especially when you have a cold
2. the ability to remain calm in a situation that is difficult or upsetting
•Phlegm and perseverance carried them through many troubles.

Word Origin:
[phlegm] Middle English fleem, fleume, from Old French fleume, from late Latin phlegma ‘clammy moisture (of the body)’, from Greek phlegma ‘inflammation’, from phlegein ‘to burn’. The spelling change in the 16th cent. was due to association with the Latin and Greek.

• Từ đồng nghĩa / Synonyms:
  languor, lethargy, sluggishness, flatness, sputum, emotionlessness, impassivity, impassiveness, indifference, stolidity, unemotionality