hay fever

noun

|Updated on: 8 Jul 2018

Definition of hay fever

: an acute allergic reaction to pollen that is usually seasonal and is marked by sneezing, nasal discharge and congestion, and itching and watering of the eyes — called also pollinosis

See hay fever defined for English-language learners

See hay fever defined for kids

Recent Examples of hay fever from the Web

Less common is ear, eye and skin reactions, along with hay fever and flulike symptoms.

— lisa cianci, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Tips to stay safe in water on July Fourth and all summer," 28 June 2018
Reduced exposure to microorganisms and parasites is associated with increased rates of certain diseases, like asthma and hay fever, for example.

— tori rodriguez, Woman's Day, "5 "Bad" Habits That Are Actually Good for You," 3 Aug. 2016
Allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever, and asthma can develop in children as early as two years old.

— chris couch, USA TODAY, "Ask a Doc: Can I do anything to ensure my newborn doesn't develop allergies?," 17 May 2018
Spring is in the air, which unfortunately for many of us means sneezing, itchy eyes, congestion and other symptoms associated with seasonal allergic reactions, aka, hay fever.

— NBC News, "How to prep your home for allergy season," 4 Apr. 2018
Specializes in human, animal and drug allergies, hay fever and travel vaccinations.

— peggy siegal, Town & Country, "This Underground Plastic Surgery Guide Is the Talk of the Upper East Side," 20 Nov. 2017
However, other such medications treating conditions such as hay fever or stomach cramps were not linked to dementia.

— brett molina, USA TODAY, "Some antidepressants linked to dementia, study finds," 26 Apr. 2018
In the United States, food allergies affect about 5% of children and 4% of adults, and allergic rhinitis or hay fever affects about 8% of adults and children, according to the National Institutes of Health.

— jacqueline howard, CNN, "Ah-choo! These meds linked with higher allergy risk in kids," 2 Apr. 2018
In the last 12 months alone, more than 8 percent of the U.S. population were with diagnosed with hay fever.

— jessica brown, The Cut, "Everything You Need to Know About Seasonal Allergies," 26 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of hay fever

1829

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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HAY FEVER Defined for English Language Learners

hay fever

noun

Definition of hay fever for English Language Learners

medical : a sickness that is like a cold and that is caused by breathing in plant pollen

HAY FEVER Defined for Kids

hay fever

noun

Definition of hay fever for Students

: an allergy to pollen that is usually marked by sneezing, a runny or stuffed nose, and itchy and watering eyes

Medical Dictionary

hay fever

noun \ ˈhā-ˌfē-vər \

medical Definition of hay fever

: an acute allergic reaction to pollen that is usually seasonal and is marked by sneezing, nasal discharge and congestion, and itching and watering of the eyes — called also pollinosis