hay fever

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. a type of allergic rhinitis affecting the mucous membranes of the eyes and respiratory tract, affecting susceptible persons usually during the summer, caused by pollen of ragweed and certain other plants.

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hay fever British  

noun

1. Technical names: allergic rhinitis, pollinosis. an allergic reaction to pollen, dust, etc, characterized by sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes due to inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose

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hay fever Scientific  

/ hā /

1. An seasonal allergic condition characterized by a sensitivity to airborne pollen, resulting in nasal discharge, sneezing, and itchy, watery eyes. It occurs especially during late spring, late summer, and early fall and can be caused by the pollens of various plants, especially ragweed and certain trees and grasses.

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Etymology

Origin of hay fever

First recorded in 1820–30

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hay fever

It was good news for Romesh at least, whose hay fever saved the day - Sharon Rooney could hear him sniffing constantly next to her so knew he couldn't have been a traitor.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

So what does this mean for millions of people living with hay fever, and is there anything they can do to cope?

From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026

He told the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4 that more research is needed to see if climate change could also be increasing the amount of pollen circulating and making hay fever symptoms more severe.

From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026

"While for some their symptoms can be mild, for many their hay fever symptoms impacts their quality of life," says Anne Biggs, deputy head of clinical services at Allergy UK.

From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026

Ragweed, the bane of hay fever sufferers, offers an interesting example of the way efforts to control nature sometimes boomerang.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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