fever

[fee-ver] /ˈfi vər/
noun
1.
an abnormal condition of the body, characterized by undue rise in temperature, quickening of the pulse, and disturbance of various body functions.
2.
an abnormally high body temperature.
3.
the number of degrees of such a temperature above the normal.
4.
any of a group of diseases in which high temperature is a prominent symptom:
scarlet fever.
5.
intense nervous excitement:
The audience was in a fever of anticipation.
verb (used with object)
6.
to affect with or as with fever:
The excitement fevered him.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English; Old English fefer < Latin febr- (stem of febris) fever; reinforced by Anglo-French fevre, Old French fievre < Latin, as above
Related forms
feverless, adjective
unfevered, adjective
Can be confused
fervent, fever, feverish.
fever, temperature.
Examples from the web for fever
  • Early stages resemble the flu, with pink eyes, coughing and fever.
  • Disputed usage if her fever increases any farther, i will call the doctor.
  • Yellow fever has been a source of several devastating epidemics.
  • There is no true cure for yellow fever, therefore vaccination is important.
  • Malaria and yellow fever and other tropical scourges had become endemic in the llanos.
  • The prayer group had shorter hospital stays and duration of fever.
  • Lymphocytes higher with some viral infections such as glandular fever and.
  • Outbreaks resembling dengue fever have been reported throughout history.
  • It is quite similar to rocky mountain spotted fever, but rash is not seen in patients.
  • Puerperal fever is no longer favored as a diagnostic category.
British Dictionary definitions for fever

fever

/ˈfiːvə/
noun
1.
an abnormally high body temperature, accompanied by a fast pulse rate, dry skin, etc related adjectives febrile pyretic
2.
any of various diseases, such as yellow fever or scarlet fever, characterized by a high temperature
3.
intense nervous excitement or agitation: she was in a fever about her party
verb
4.
(transitive) to affect with or as if with fever
Derived Forms
fevered, adjective
feverless, adjective
Word Origin
Old English fēfor, from Latin febris
Word Origin and History for fever
n.

late Old English fefor, fefer "fever," from Latin febris "fever," related to fovere "to warm, heat," probably from PIE root *dhegh- "burn" (cf. Gothic dags, Old English dæg "day," originally "the heat"); but some suggest a reduplication of a root represented by Sanskrit *bhur- "to be restless."

Adopted into most Germanic languages (cf. German Fieber, Swedish feber, Danish feber), but not in Dutch. English spelling influenced by Old French fievre. Replaced Old English hriðing. Extended sense of "intense nervous excitement" is from 1580s.

fever in Medicine

fever fe·ver (fē'vər)
n.

  1. Body temperature above the normal of 98.6°F (37°C). Also called pyrexia.

  2. Any of various diseases in which there is an elevation of the body temperature above normal.

fever in Science
fever
  (fē'vər)   
A body temperature that is higher than normal. Fever is the body's natural response to the release of substances called pyrogens by infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses. The pyrogens stimulate the hypothalamus in the brain to conserve heat and increase the basal metabolic rate.
Slang definitions & phrases for fever

fever

noun
  1. The five of a playing-card suit
  2. Five or the point of five; phoebe (1940s+ Gambling)
Related Terms

cabin fever


fever in the Bible

(Deut. 28:22; Matt. 8:14; Mark 1:30; John 4:52; Acts 28:8), a burning heat, as the word so rendered denotes, which attends all febrile attacks. In all Eastern countries such diseases are very common. Peter's wife's mother is said to have suffered from a "great fever" (Luke 4:38), an instance of Luke's professional exactitude in describing disease. He adopts here the technical medical distinction, as in those times fevers were divided into the "great" and the "less."

Idioms and Phrases with fever

fever

see: