fever

[ fee-ver ]

/ ˈfi vər /

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See synonyms for: fever / fevered on Thesaurus.com

noun

an abnormal condition of the body, characterized by undue rise in temperature, quickening of the pulse, and disturbance of various body functions.

an abnormally high body temperature.

the number of degrees of such a temperature above the normal.

any of a group of diseases in which high temperature is a prominent symptom: scarlet fever.

intense nervous excitement: The audience was in a fever of anticipation.

verb (used with object)

to affect with or as with fever: The excitement fevered him.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of fever

before 1000; Middle English; Old English fefer<Latin febr- (stem of febris) fever; reinforced by Anglo-French fevre,Old French fievre<Latin, as above

OTHER WORDS FROM fever

fe·ver·less, adjectiveun·fe·vered, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH fever

1. fervent, fever , feverish2. fever , temperature

Words nearby fever

feu de joie, feudist, Feuerbach, Feuillant, feuilleton, fever, fever blister, fever dream, feverfew, fever heat, feverish

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

How to use fever in a sentence

When you get a fever, your heart rate tends to increase, even before you notice other symptoms, so it can act as an early warning system.
The new Fitbit knows when you’re stressed—and how to help you chill|Stan Horaczek|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
Yellow fever, a mosquito-borne hemorrhagic disease that is common in South America and sub-Saharan Africa, annually infects about 200,000 people and causes an estimated 30,000 deaths.
New antibodies in just months|Katie McLean|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
The two cats that died were among four that had developed severe symptoms, such as jaundice and high fever.
How two coronavirus drugs for cats might help humans fight COVID-19|Erin Garcia de Jesus|August 11, 2020|Science News
A high dose of the vaccine produced severe side effects such as fever in 9 percent of volunteers, but a lower dose produced a severe side effect in only 1 percent of people.
COVID-19 vaccines by Oxford, CanSino and Pfizer all trigger immune responses|Tina Hesman Saey|July 21, 2020|Science News

It can scan people coming into an area to see if they have a fever.
Tackling the novel coronavirus calls for novel ideas|Kathiann Kowalski|May 7, 2020|Science News For Students
Besides, victory fever had spread like wildfire throughout the Allied armies.
Hitler’s Hail Mary|James A. Warren|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The sets—which, really, were a feat of design and direction—appeared to be remnants of a Lewis Carroll fever dream.
‘Peter Pan Live!’ Review: No Amount of Clapping Brings It to Life|Kevin Fallon|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Future lives, careers and attitudes were being determined in this lightly regulated fever.
The Castration of Alan Turing, Britain’s Code-Breaking WWII Hero|Clive Irving|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Spirits in Stanleyville were high, and a local 19-year-old was emboldened by independence fever.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis|Nina Strochlic|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Take Too Many Cooks: a fever dream of a segment that aired at 4:00am earlier this week.
Jimmy Kimmel Pranks Kids (Again), Taylor Swift’s 1989 Aerobics, and More Viral Videos|The Daily Beast Video|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Day by day these fretting anxieties and perplexities wasted her strength, and her fever grew higher and higher.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
Père Bracasse was ill, suffering from rheumatism, bronchitis, fever and corns.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
When Stanhope entered to him, he found his guest lying on a sofa, in a high state of fever, both from his wounds and agitation.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
If the fever ends by crisis, the crisis is accompanied by a rapid and striking increase.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The spirillum of relapsing fever can be identified by the method for the malarial parasite in fresh blood.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for fever

fever

/ (ˈfiːvə) /

noun

an abnormally high body temperature, accompanied by a fast pulse rate, dry skin, etcRelated adjectives: febrile, pyretic

any of various diseases, such as yellow fever or scarlet fever, characterized by a high temperature

intense nervous excitement or agitationshe was in a fever about her party

verb

(tr) to affect with or as if with fever

Derived forms of fever

fevered, adjectivefeverless, adjective

Word Origin for fever

Old English fēfor, from Latin febris

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 fever

fever

[ fē′vər ]

A body temperature that is higher than normal. Fever is the body's natural response to the release of substances called pyrogens by infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses. The pyrogens stimulate the hypothalamus in the brain to conserve heat and increase the basal metabolic rate.

Other Idioms and Phrases with fever

fever

see cabin fever; run a fever.

fever

Origin of fever

OTHER WORDS FROM fever

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH fever

Words nearby fever

Words related to fever

How to use fever in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fever

Derived forms of fever

Word Origin for fever

Scientific definitions for fever

Other Idioms and Phrases with fever