delirium

[dih-leer-ee-uh m] /dɪˈlɪər i əm/

noun, plural deliriums, deliria

[dih-leer-ee-uh] /dɪˈlɪər i ə/ (Show IPA)

Pathology. a more or less temporary disorder of the mental faculties, as in fevers, disturbances of consciousness, or intoxication, characterized by restlessness, excitement, delusions, hallucinations, etc.

a state of violent excitement or emotion.

Origin

1590-1600; < Latin dēlīrium frenzy, equivalent to dēlīr(āre) (see deliration) + -ium -ium

Related forms

semidelirium, noun

Examples from the web for delirium

Mallory himself slides into full-fledged dementia and delirium as he battles the guerrillas, the militia and the forces of nature.
As a new century begins, we have begun to awaken from this delirium.
As 300 or more runs are not infrequent in a cricket game, it was in a state of delirium we took our chance at the bat.
The disorder is called acute confusional state or delirium.
The fever is gone, the delirium remains.
The Depression slows this regime of architectural delirium.
Their first symptoms are acute tiredness, followed by fever and delirium.
She sank more and more into uneasy delirium.
The patient then lapses into delirium and coma, often followed by death.
In severe cases there may be delirium.

British Dictionary definitions for delirium

delirium

/dɪˈlɪrɪəm/

noun (pl) -liriums, -liria (-ˈlɪrɪə)

a state of excitement and mental confusion, often accompanied by hallucinations, caused by high fever, poisoning, brain injury, etc

violent excitement or emotion; frenzy

Derived Forms

deliriant, adjective

Word Origin

C16: from Latin: madness, from dēlīrāre, literally: to swerve from a furrow, hence be crazy, from de- + līra ridge, furrow

Word Origin and History for delirium

1590s, from Latin delirium "madness," from deliriare "be crazy, rave," literally "go off the furrow," a plowing metaphor, from phrase de lire, from de "off, away" (see de-) + lira "furrow, earth thrown up between two furrows," from PIE *leis- "track, furrow."

delirium in Medicine

delirium de·lir·i·um (dĭ-lēr'ē-əm)
n. de·lir·i·ums or de·lir·i·a (-ē-ə)
A temporary state of mental confusion resulting from high fever, intoxication, shock, or other causes, and characterized by anxiety, disorientation, memory impairment, hallucinations, trembling, and incoherent speech.

delirium in Technology

An embedding coordinate language for parallel programming, implemented on Sequent Symmetry, Cray, BBN Butterfly.
["Parallel Programming with Coordination Structures", S. Lucco et al, 18th POPL, pp.197-208 (1991)].