Spanish flu

noun

Span·​ish flu

ˈspan-ish-

variants also Spanish influenza

: influenza that is caused by a subtype (H1N1) of an orthomyxovirus (species Influenza A virus of the genus Influenzavirus A) and that was responsible for about 500,000 deaths in the U.S. in the influenza pandemic of 1918–1919

Between 20 million and 40 million died around the globe of the Spanish flu of 1918, probably the worst pandemic in human history.

—Douglas M. Birch, Baltimore Sun

compare asian flu, hong kong flu