distemper

¹dis·tem·per

transitive verb \dis-ˈtem-pər\

Definition of DISTEMPER

1

: to throw out of order

2

archaic : derange, unsettle

Origin of DISTEMPER

Middle English distempren, from Late Latin distemperare to temper badly, from Latin dis- + temperare to temper

First Known Use: 14th century

²distemper

noun

Definition of DISTEMPER

1

: bad humor or temper

2

: a disordered or abnormal bodily state especially of quadruped mammals: as

a : a highly contagious virus disease of canines and especially of dogs that is caused by a morbillivirus (species Canine distemper virus) and is marked by fever, leukopenia, and respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurological symptoms —called also canine distemper

b : strangles

c : panleukopenia

3

: ailment, disorder <vice and folly are situated not in human nature … but in distempers of intellect — George Stade>

— dis·tem·per·ate \-p(ə-)rət\ adjective

First Known Use of DISTEMPER

1546

³distemper

noun

Definition of DISTEMPER

1

: a process of painting in which the pigments are mixed with an emulsion of egg yolk, with size, or with white of egg as a vehicle and which is used for painting scenery and murals

2

a : the paint or the prepared ground used in the distemper process

b : a painting done in distemper

3

: any of various water-based paints

Origin of DISTEMPER

obsolete distemper, verb, to dilute, mix to produce distemper, from Middle English, from Anglo-French destemprer, from Latin dis- + temperare

First Known Use: 1632

⁴distemper

transitive verb

Definition of DISTEMPER

: to paint in or with distemper

First Known Use of DISTEMPER

circa 1873

dis·tem·per

noun \dis-ˈtem-pər\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of DISTEMPER

: a disordered or abnormal bodily state especially of quadruped mammals: as a : a highly contagious virus disease especially of dogs that is marked by fever, leukopenia, and respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurological symptoms and that is caused by a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus (species Canine distemper virus)—called also canine distemper b : strangles c : panleukopenia d : a severe frequently fatal infectious nasopharyngeal inflammation of rabbits

distemper

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Viral disease in two forms, canine and feline. Canine distemper is acute and highly contagious, affecting dogs, foxes, wolves, mink, raccoons, and ferrets. Most untreated cases are fatal. Infected animals are best treated with prompt injections of serum globulins; secondary infections are warded off by antibiotics. Immunity can be conferred by vaccination. Feline distemper causes a severe drop in the number of the infected cat's white blood cells. It rarely lasts more than a week, but the mortality rate is high. Vaccines offer effective immunity.