Word of the Day: Phlegmatic
Phlegmatic (adjective) fleg-MAT-ik
Definition
1 : resembling, consisting of, or producing the humor phlegm
2 : having or showing a slow and stolid temperament
Definition from Dictionary.com
Examples
“She said ‘Good morning, Miss,’ in her usual phlegmatic and brief manner; and taking up another ring and more tape, went on with her sewing.” — Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847
“You are aware of the finality of fate, and tend to have a phlegmatic and sometimes unhappy compromise with your life, even when you long for a definitive resolution.” — Molly Shea,The New York Post, 31 Aug. 2016
Did You Know?
According to the ancient Greeks, human personalities were controlled by four bodily fluids or semifluids called humors: blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm. Each humor was associated with one of the four basic elements: air, earth, fire, and water. Phlegm was paired with water—the cold, moist element—and it was believed to impart the cool, calm, unemotional personality we now call the “phlegmatic type.” That’s a bit odd, given that the term derives from the Greek phlegma, which literally means “flame,” perhaps a reflection of the inflammation that colds and flus often bring.
My Take
Okay, I admit it. I had trouble with this one. The definition as listed in Merriam-Webster didn’t do much in allowing me to understand the meaning of the word. I had to go to Dictionary.com to understand it. I’ve included its definition in this post.
Now that I have a better understanding, I wanted to know more. Therefore, I looked up synonyms for the word. They include 1. stoical, cool, cold, uninterested, dull, torpid. 2. cool, collected, unruffled, placid, quiet.
To be honest, I would probably use one of the synonyms before using the actual word Phlegmatic. Check out this the blog article http://temperaments-carrie.blogspot.com/2010/09/meet-polly-phlegmatic-part-1.html if you would like to know more. I found it an interesting read.
What do you think? Please share your comments. I enjoy reading them.
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