distemper

¹

[ dis-tem-per ]

noun

1. Veterinary Pathology.
   1. Also called canine distemper. an infectious disease chiefly of young dogs, caused by an unidentified virus and characterized by lethargy, fever, catarrh, photophobia, and vomiting.
   2. Also called colt distemper,. an infectious disease of horses, caused by the bacillus Streptococcus equi and characterized by catarrh of the upper air passages and the formation of pus in the submaxillary and other lymphatic glands.
   3. Also called cat distemper,. a usually fatal viral disease of cats, characterized by fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, leading to severe dehydration.
2. a deranged condition of mind or body; a disorder or disease:

   a feverish distemper.

3. disorder or disturbance, especially of a political nature.

verb (used with object)

1. Obsolete. to derange physically or mentally.

distemper

²

[ dis-tem-per ]

noun

1. Art.
   1. a technique of decorative painting in which glue or gum is used as a binder or medium to achieve a mat surface and rapid drying.
   2. (formerly) the tempera technique.
2. a painting executed by this method.
3. British. whitewash; calcimine.

verb (used with object)

1. to paint in distemper.
2. British. to whitewash a wall, cottage, etc.; calcimine.

distemper

¹

/ dɪsˈtɛmpə /

noun

1. See strangles, hard pad
   any of various infectious diseases of animals, esp canine distemper , a highly contagious viral disease of dogs, characterized initially by high fever and a discharge from the nose and eyes See also hard pad strangles
2. archaic.
   1. a disease or disorder
   2. disturbance
   3. discontent

verb

1. archaic.
   tr to disturb

distemper

²

/ dɪsˈtɛmpə /

noun

1. a technique of painting in which the pigments are mixed with water, glue, size, etc, used for poster, mural, and scene painting
2. the paint used in this technique or any of various water-based paints, including, in Britain, whitewash

verb

1. tr to mix (pigments) with water and size
2. to paint (something) with distemper

distemper

/ dĭs-tĕm′pər /

1. An infectious disease occurring especially in dogs, caused by the canine distemper virus of the genus Morbillivirus. It is characterized by loss of appetite, a discharge from the eyes and nose, vomiting, fever, lethargy, partial paralysis caused by destruction of myelinated nerve tissue, and sometimes death.
2. An infectious disease of cats caused by the feline panleukopenia virus of the genus Parvovirus, characterized by fever, vomiting, diarrhea leading to dehydration, and sometimes death.

Other Words From

• dis·tem·pered·ly adverb
• dis·tem·pered·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of distemper¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English verb distemp(e)ren, destempren “to upset the balance of humors,” from Old French destemprer, from Medieval Latin distemperāre “to mix badly or in wrong proportions,” equivalent to Latin dis- dis- ¹ + temperāre “to mitigate, temper ”

Origin of distemper²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb distemperen “to dissolve or diliute (strong medicine)”; distemper ¹( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of distemper¹

C14: from Late Latin distemperāre to derange the health of, from Latin dis- ¹+ temperāre to mix in correct proportions

Origin of distemper²

C14: from Medieval Latin distemperāre to soak, from Latin dis- ¹+ temperāre to mingle

Example Sentences

This quote is supposed to confirm Thatcher as an anti-social radical individualist of the Ayn Rand distemper.

From The Daily Beast

This joint is commonly used for walls intended to be coated with distemper or limewhite.

From Project Gutenberg

My late distemper of heat and itching being come upon me again, so that I must think of sweating again as I did before.

From Project Gutenberg

This malignant distemper had destroyed numbers of prisoners during the preceding years.

From Project Gutenberg

Cats attacked in this way are called, by the natives, azorochados, and antimony is alleged to be the cause of the distemper.

From Project Gutenberg

No woman whose husband had any visible distemper should claim under a year after her subscription.

From Project Gutenberg