Hong Kong flu

noun

A form of influenza caused by an H3N2 strain of the influenza A virus, descended from H2N2 through antigenic shift, that killed around one million people worldwide during an outbreak in 1968 and 1969.

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Meanings

nounHong Kong flu (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA form of influenza caused by an H3N2 strain of the influenza A virus, descended from H2N2 through antigenic shift, that killed around one million people worldwide during an outbreak in 1968 and 1969.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
hong kong influenza

Origin

So called because it originated in Hong Kong.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Hong Kong flu. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hong%20Kong%20flu

MLA

“Hong Kong flu.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hong%20Kong%20flu. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Hong Kong flu,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hong%20Kong%20flu.

Source: Hong Kong flu on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.