delirium
[ dih-leer-ee-uh m ]
/ dɪˈlɪər i əm /
noun, plural de·lir·i·ums, de·lir·i·a [dih-leer-ee-uh] /dɪˈlɪər i ə/.
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.
RELATED CONTENT
What Is It Called When A Person Is “Speaking In Tongues?”A person who has what is known as “the gift of tongues” is usually in the midst of religious ecstasy, trance, or delirium. The speaker — and often witnesses too — believe that they are being possessed by a supernatural spirit or channeling the language of a deity or divine being, although the words are incomprehensible otherwise. Experts call this phenomenon glossolalia, a Greek compound of the words …
RELATED WORDS
hallucination, fever, dementia, hysteria, aberration, fury, ardor, derangement, rage, insanity, ecstasy, mania, passion, fervor, enthusiasm, zeal, frenzy, raving, lunacy, furor
Nearby words
deliquescence, deliquescent, deliration, deliriant, delirious, delirium, delirium tremens, delish, delist, delitescence, delitescent
Origin of delirium
Related forms
sem·i·de·lir·i·um, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for delirium
British Dictionary definitions for delirium
delirium
/ (dɪˈlɪrɪəm) /
noun plural -liriums or -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, adjectiveWord Origin for delirium
C16: from Latin: madness, from dēlīrāre, literally: to swerve from a furrow, hence be crazy, from de- + līra ridge, furrow
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medicine definitions for delirium
delirium
[ dĭ-lîr′ē-əm ]
n. pl. de•lir•i•ums
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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.