swine influenza
- noun
- /swaɪn ˌɪnflʊˈɛn zə/
- Specialized
- The outbreak of swine influenza led to new biosecurity measures on the farm.
Examples
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Farmers are concerned about swine influenza outbreaks.
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Don't forget to vaccinate against swine influenza!
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Farm workers were vaccinated to prevent the spread of swine influenza among the herd.
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Scientists studied the genetic similarity between swine influenza and human flu viruses.
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The veterinarian diagnosed the pig with swine influenza after observing symptoms of coughing and lethargy.
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Farmers are concerned about swine influenza, as it can quickly spread through their livestock.
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To avoid outbreaks, it's important to monitor for signs of swine influenza in pig populations.
Synonyms
A contagious illness caused by a virus that gives fever, body aches, and cough
A disease from pigs that can spread to people and causes fever and cough
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'swine' (pig) + 'influenza' (flu) yields 'influenza originating in pigs' or a pig-derived strain, which a learner who knows both words can infer. This follows a common noun-noun compounding pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner knowing the constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
Swine influenza comes from a simple picture: swine means 'pigs' and influenza means 'flu', because people first saw this illness spreading through pig herds. So it refers to the flu disease of pigs.