tertian

American  

[tur-shuhn] / ˈtɜr ʃən /

adjective

1. Pathology. (of a malarial fever, etc.) characterized by paroxysms that recur every other day.

---

noun

1. Pathology. a tertian fever.

2. a Jesuit during the period of tertianship.

tertian British  

/ ˈtɜːʃən /

adjective

1. (of a fever or the symptoms of a disease, esp malaria) occurring every other day

---

noun

1. a tertian fever or symptoms

Other Word Forms

• subtertian
  adjective

---

Etymology

Origin of tertian

1325–75; Middle English terciane < Latin ( febris ) tertiāna tertian (fever), equivalent to terti ( us ) third + -āna, feminine of -ānus -an

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tertian

A total of 213 cases was reported; of those, only six were of the "benign tertian" or vivax type.

From Time Magazine Archive

Last week he died of tertian malaria, nephritis and influenza, was buried on a hilltop in Addis Ababa.

From Time Magazine Archive

Influenza, tertian fever, leprosy were all endemic, along with tapeworm and a mysterious intestinal infestation that made its victim long to eat earth.

From Time Magazine Archive

Quinine also destroys the sexual forms of all but P. falciparum, which means that even after he is "cured" by quinine a patient with malignant tertian malaria can give the protozoa to any suitable mosquito.

From Time Magazine Archive

Statistics gathered from a great many sources and relating to many countries and climates indicate that quotidian intermittents are more common than tertian.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---