fever

English

Alternative forms

• feaver, fevre (obsolete, rare)

Etymology

From Middle English fever, fevere, from Old English fefer, fefor (“fever”), from Latin febris (“a fever”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ- (“to burn”). Replaced native Old English hriþ (“fever”). Compare also Saterland Frisian Fiewer, German Fieber, Danish feber, Swedish feber.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfiːvə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfivɚ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːvə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: fe‧ver

Noun

fever (countable and uncountable, plural fevers)

1. A higher than normal body temperature of a person (or, generally, a mammal), usually caused by disease.

   "I have a fever. I think I've the flu."

2. (usually in combination with one or more preceding words) Any of various diseases.

   scarlet fever

3. A state of excitement or anxiety.
   • c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

     an envious fever

   • 1996 March 15, Jonathan Mirsky, “Taiwan President visits islanders to bolster morale”, in The Times‎, number 65,528, →ISSN, →OCLC, Overseas News, page 15, column 3:

     There is little doubt that while war fever has not gripped Taipei, its economic foundations are being shaken. The stock market rose yesterday, but only because the Government has pumped $1.5 billion (£1 billion) into it after $370 million was drained from banks, and stocks were sold by investors who are worried by the Chinese manoeuvres.

4. (neologism) A group of stingrays.
   • 2011, Julianne Schultz, editor, Griffith REVIEW 34: The Annual Fiction Edition:

     On the way back to the mainland the boat passed over a fever of stingrays, and the sight of them through the glass was enough to colour everything else, and outstrip it.

   • 2020, Lindsay Illich, “sea turtle”, in rile & heave (everything reminds me of you): Poems:

     They move like thoughts, like memory, like a Wes Anderson diorama of earthly delights: lionfish, an albacore, a fever of stingrays—and then like a wound, a sea turtle at eye level.

   • 2020, Sarah Elizabeth, Secrets of the Past: Ocean Academy Year 1:

     She threw up her hands in excitement and the ball of water flew right into the pathway of the fever of stingrays.

Synonyms

• (higher than normal body temperature): high temperature, pyrexia (medical term), temperature
• (state of excitement): excitation, excitement, passion

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Related terms

• febrile
• fervent
• fervid
• fervor

Translations

See also

• hyperthermia

Verb

fever (third-person singular simple present fevers, present participle fevering, simple past and past participle fevered)

1. To put into a fever; to affect with fever.

   a fevered lip

   • c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     the white hand of a lady fever thee

2. To become fevered.

References

• fever on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Further reading

• “fever”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “fever”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• fevre