fever

noun fe·ver \ ˈfē-vər \

Updated on: 21 May 2018

Definition of fever

1 a : a rise of body temperature above the normal

b : any of various diseases of which fever is a prominent symptom

2 a : a state of heightened or intense emotion or activity

b : a contagious usually transient enthusiasm : craze

See fever defined for English-language learners

See fever defined for kids

Examples of fever in a Sentence

The symptoms of the disease include headache and fever.
We waited in a fever of anticipation.
He had us all in a fever with worry.

Recent Examples of fever from the Web

Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and internal and external bleeding.

— paulina dedaj, Fox News, "Ebola outbreak in the Congo spreads to major city, health officials confirm," 17 May 2018
The symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding.

— Washington Post, "AP Explains: Ebola reaches an urban area in Congo. What now?," 17 May 2018
Symptoms of Lyme disease, caused by bacteria spread by ticks, include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash.

— don sweeney, sacbee, "CDC hides ticks on a poppyseed muffin. Thanks for ruining muffins forever, some say | The Sacramento Bee," 13 May 2018
Later symptoms can include: fever, chills, fatigue and vomiting.

— howard cohen, miamiherald, "Flesh-eating bacteria suspected as cause of grandma's death after a Florida vacation | Miami Herald," 11 May 2018
Symptoms include high fever — up to 103 or 104 degrees Fahrenheit — stomach pains, headaches, a loss of appetite, constipation, cough, and sometimes rashes.

— elise takahama and felice j. freyer, BostonGlobe.com, "Typhoid fever case reported at Quincy day care center," 10 May 2018
Symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and hemorrhaging can begin two to 21 days after exposure.

— bukola adebayo, CNN, "Ebola: Nigeria begins screening of travelers from high risk countries," 10 May 2018
Symptoms include include fever, rash, facial paralysis, and arthritis.

— kara driscoll, ajc, "Lyme disease: 7 questions answered about tick-borne infections," 7 May 2018
People infected with Lyme disease may also experience flu-like symptoms early on, including fever, chills, fatigue, body aches, and headaches.

— emma sarran webster, Allure, "What You Should Know About the Rise of Insect-Spread Diseases," 3 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fever.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of fever

Middle English, from Old English fēfer, from Latin febris

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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fever Synonyms

fever

verb

Definition of fever

fevered; fevering play \ˈfē-vriŋ, ˈfe-vər-iŋ\

transitive verb

: to throw into a fever : agitate

intransitive verb

: to contract or be in a fever : become feverish

Recent Examples of fever from the Web

Proponents also argue that there is little evidence that fever itself, even a high fever, is harmful.

— richard klasco, New York Times, "If Fever Helps Fight Infection, Should I Avoid Fever-Reducing Drugs?," 11 May 2018

First Known Use of fever

1606

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

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FEVER Defined for English Language Learners

fever

noun

Definition of fever for English Language Learners

: a body temperature that is higher than normal
: a disease that causes an increase in body temperature
: a state of excited emotion or activity

FEVER Defined for Kids

fever

noun fe·ver \ ˈfē-vər \

Definition of fever for Students

1 : a body temperature that is higher than normal

2 : a disease involving fever

Medical Dictionary

fever

noun fe·ver \ ˈfē-vər \

medical Definition of fever

1 : a rise of body temperature above the normal whether a natural response (as to infection) or artificially induced for therapeutic reasons

2 : an abnormal bodily state characterized by increased production of heat, accelerated heart action and pulse, and systemic debility with weakness, loss of appetite, and thirst

3 : any of various diseases of which fever is a prominent symptom