delirium tremens

[ dih-leer-ee-uhm tree-muhnz, -menz ]

/ dɪˈlɪər i əm ˈtri mənz, -mɛnz /

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See synonyms for delirium tremens on Thesaurus.com

noun Pathology.

a withdrawal syndrome occurring in persons who have developed physiological dependence on alcohol, characterized by tremor, visual hallucinations, and autonomic instability. Abbreviation: d.t.

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Also called the d.t.'s

[thuh-dee-teez] /ðə ˈdiˈtiz/ .

Origin of delirium tremens

First recorded in 1813; from New Latin: “trembling delirium”

Words nearby delirium tremens

deliquescent, deliration, deliriant, delirious, delirium, delirium tremens, delish, delist, delitescence, delitescent, Delium

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use delirium tremens in a sentence

I spend waking hours in a fog of delirium, punctuated by uncontrollable giggle fits, heart palpitations, and mental anguish.
YouTube’s Sleep Whisperers Are A Sexy Way To Combat Insomnia|Lizzie Crocker|May 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It's not delirium tremors and chromosome breakage and only a small number of users would be seriously harmed.
Weed Gave My Family Everything—Then Took It Away|Abby Haglage|April 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After Joe watches her father suffer delirium in the hospital, she says she felt "nothing" when he dies.
A Sex Addiction Expert Diagnoses Lars Von Trier’s ‘Nymphomaniac’|Lizzie Crocker|March 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And they reacted to the announcement with measured delirium, sending equities to their highest levels in nearly four years.
Mario Draghi May Become the Man Who Saved Europe—and the World|Zachary Karabell|September 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Republicans were never overwhelmed by Mitt Romney; the Democratic delirium for Barack Obama faded two recovery summers ago.
The Penn & Teller Election|David Frum|April 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I nursed him through several attacks of delirium tremens, and was always in fear that he would get out and disgrace us.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
During the delirium of the fever, Dorothy raved continually about her mother, and dared not be left a moment alone in the dark.
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie
The head is painful, and the patient is now and then even affected with delirium.
An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae|Edward Jenner
The deep-set eyes of the soldier glowed with an unnatural fire, and he was muttering to himself, as if in delirium.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
It is most frequent among those whose addiction to alcohol for years has caused repeated paroxysms of delirium tremens.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley

British Dictionary definitions for delirium tremens

delirium tremens

/ (ˈtrɛmɛnz, ˈtriː-) /

noun

a severe psychotic condition occurring in some persons with chronic alcoholism, characterized by delirium, tremor, anxiety, and vivid hallucinationsAbbreviation: dt, (informal) DT's

Word Origin for delirium tremens

C19: New Latin, literally: trembling delirium

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

Scientific definitions for delirium tremens

delirium tremens

[ dĭ-lîr′ē-əm trē′mənz ]

An acute, sometimes fatal episode of delirium that is usually caused by withdrawal or abstinence from alcohol following habitual excessive drinking or an episode of heavy alcohol consumption. It is characterized by trembling, sweating, acute anxiety, confusion, and hallucinations.

delirium tremens

Origin of delirium tremens

Words nearby delirium tremens

Words related to delirium tremens

How to use delirium tremens in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for delirium tremens

Word Origin for delirium tremens

Scientific definitions for delirium tremens