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.
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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, delis, delish, delist, delitescence
Origin of delirium
Related formssem·i·de·lir·i·um, noun
Dictionary.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 Formsdeliriant, adjective
Word 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
Word Origin and History for delirium
delirium
1590s, from Latin delirium "madness," from deliriare "be crazy, rave," literally "go off the furrow," a plowing metaphor, from phrase de lire, from de "off, away" (see de-) + lira "furrow, earth thrown up between two furrows," from PIE *leis- "track, furrow."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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.