Dictionary.com

migraine

[ mahy-greyn or, British, mee- ]
/ ˈmaɪ greɪn or, British, ˈmi- /
Save This Word!

noun
an extremely severe paroxysmal headache, usually confined to one side of the head and often associated with nausea; hemicrania.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
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…

Origin of migraine

1325–75; Middle English <Middle French <Late Latin hēmicrāniahemicrania; cf. megrim

OTHER WORDS FROM migraine

mi·grain·oid, adjectivemi·grain·ous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use migraine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for migraine

migraine
/ (ˈmiːɡreɪn, ˈmaɪ-) /

noun
a throbbing headache usually affecting only one side of the head and commonly accompanied by nausea and visual disturbances

Derived forms of migraine

migrainous, adjective

Word Origin for migraine

C18: (earlier form, C14 mygrame megrim 1): from French, from Late Latin hēmicrānia pain in half of the head, from Greek hēmikrania, from hemi- + kranion cranium
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 migraine

migraine
[ mīgrān′ ]

A severe recurring headache, usually affecting only one side of the head, that is characterized by sharp, throbbing pain and is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and visual disturbances. Vasodilation in the brain causes inflammation that results in pain, but the exact cause of migraine is unknown.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK