fever

American  

[fee-ver] / ˈfi vər /

noun

• fevers
  plural

1. 

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

2. an abnormally high body temperature.

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

4. any of a group of diseases in which high temperature is a prominent symptom.

   scarlet fever.

5. intense nervous excitement.

   The audience was in a fever of anticipation.

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verb (used with object)

1. to affect with or as with fever.

   The excitement fevered him.

fever British  

/ ˈfiːvə /

noun

1. an abnormally high body temperature, accompanied by a fast pulse rate, dry skin, etc

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

3. intense nervous excitement or agitation

   she was in a fever about her party

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verb

1. (tr) to affect with or as if with fever

fever Scientific  

/ fē′vər /

1. 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.

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fever Idioms  

1. see cabin fever; run a fever.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fevered
  adjective
• feverless
  adjective
• unfevered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fevers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of fever

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English fefer, from Latin febr-, stem of febris; reinforced by Anglo-French fevre, Old French fievre, from Latin, as above

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Explanation

A fever happens when the body's internal temperature is higher than normal. If you have a sore throat, a headache, and a fever, you may have the flu. When you have a fever, your skin may feel hot, and your temperature as measured by a thermometer will be high. A fever can also make you feel achy, tired, and chilly, and it can be a sign that you've got some kind of infection. The Old English is fefor, from a Latin root, febris, also "fever." Doctors and nurses sometimes refer to a fever as a "febrile response."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fever fevers

The ministry said the four "developed fever" and were immediately isolated ahead of being tested, which returned positive.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

By then, he was suffering from fever, chills, muscle pain, a sore throat and bleeding.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

That’s because you’ve got debate fever, suffering reader.

From Slate ● Oct. 10, 2026

Now, with rival Amazon leading the automation push and surpassing Walmart in annual revenue, the pressure to get warehouse robotics right has reached a fever pitch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

"You haven't got a fever," she said, sounding relieved.

From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville

In painful detail, she described the splitting headaches, body aches, chills, high fevers and hallucinations that had tormented her for days.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

It is considered the safest option for treating pain and fever in pregnant women, as other medications, including aspirin or ibuprofen, present proven risks to the fetus -- as do untreated fevers.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

Health officials say the sick passengers have symptoms like fevers along with gastrointestinal and respiratory issues.

From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026

His fevers were so bad that he insisted on sleeping in the rain, and he writhed in pain "like he'd been thrown in hot oil", says his mother, Sughra.

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026

As her fevers grew worse, however, she realized she would not last another full growing season.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

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