sweating sickness

noun

1. a febrile epidemic disease that appeared in the 15th and 16th centuries: characterized by profuse sweating and frequently fatal in a few hours.

sweating sickness

noun

1. the nontechnical name for miliary fever

2. an acute infectious febrile disease that was widespread in Europe during the late 15th century, characterized by profuse sweating

3. a disease of cattle, esp calves, prevalent in southern Africa. Transmitted by ticks, it is characterized by sweating, hair loss, and inflammation of the mouth and eyes

Word History and Origins

Origin of sweating sickness¹

First recorded in 1495–1505