fever

noun

fe·ver | \ˈfē-vər

Definition of fever

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a rise of body temperature above the normal

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

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

b : a contagious usually transient enthusiasm : craze

fever

verb

fevered; fevering\ ˈfē-vriŋ ,

ˈfe-vər-iŋ \

Definition of fever (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to throw into a fever : agitate

intransitive verb

: to contract or be in a fever : become feverish

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about fever

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Examples of fever in a Sentence

Noun

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 on the Web: Noun

Many epidemics of fever ravaged Europe from ancient times through the early 20th century. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Ancient DNA reveals the secrets of a devastating European disease," 26 Sep. 2018 As part of World Cup fever, soccer fans who wear gear from the two teams will get a 50 percent discount on the marine park’s admission through July 15. — Johnny Diaz, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Flipper the dolphin calls World Cup winner in Miami," 13 July 2018 Contact tracing, as the process is called, requires establishing a vast surveillance team to watch people’s movements from town to town and reporting any cases of fever that could be Ebola. — Max Bearak, Washington Post, "Remember that Ebola outbreak in Congo? Looks like they contained it.," 27 June 2018 Commonly, once infected, a person develops flu-like symptoms of fever, headaches, muscle pain, vomiting and sore throat. — Susan Scutti, CNN, "What you need to know about lethal Nipah virus," 23 May 2018 Custis was the grandson of Martha Washington, who had been adopted by George Washington when Custis’ father died of camp fever in 1781 during the last major battle of the Revolutionary War at Yorktown. — Wesley E. Wright, Houston Chronicle, "Burial benefits for veterans explained," 18 May 2018 And then, interestingly, aspirin also reduces the incidences of fever in the post-operative period. — Sandy Bauers, Philly.com, "How high-tech genomics - and simple aspirin - could make your joint replacement better," 17 May 2018 There will be tens of lesions that spread over the next few days accompanied by spikes of fever. — Gabriela Moraru, M.d., miamiherald, "My child has a rash! What should I do? | Miami Herald," 1 May 2018 The woman, in her 20s, had reported no pain or previous trauma, no medical issues, no history of major illness or high fever and no vaccinations or use of medications in the past year. — Ashley Welch, CBS News, "Woman lost her toenails after fish pedicure," 5 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

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

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.

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Dictionary Entries near fever

Statistics for fever

Last Updated

18 Nov 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for fever

The first known use of fever was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for fever

fever

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fever

: a body temperature that is higher than normal

: a disease that causes an increase in body temperature

: a state of excited emotion or activity

See the full definition for fever in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fever

noun

fe·ver | \ˈfē-vər

Kids Definition of fever

1 : a body temperature that is higher than normal

2 : a disease involving fever

fever

noun

fe·ver | \ˈfē-vər

Medical Definition of fever

(Entry 1 of 2)

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