-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
rat-bite fever
noun
: either of two febrile bacterial diseases of humans usually transmitted by the bite of a rat
Examples of rat-bite fever in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Humans can also contract rat-bite fever by consuming food or drink fouled with rodent waste.
—Claire Panosian Dunavan, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2018
In 2006, a medical photo quiz in Clinical Infectious Diseases described a 26-year-old resident of Boston with classic features of rat-bite fever, including fever, chills, and bumpy, red blisters.
—Claire Panosian Dunavan, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2018
But rats do carry pathogens that can result in other diseases, such as the rare but still dangerous rat-bite fever.
—René A. Guzman, ExpressNews.com, 15 Sep. 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
1910, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near rat-bite fever
Cite this Entry
“Rat-bite fever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rat-bite%20fever. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.
Medical Definition
rat-bite fever
noun
: either of two febrile human diseases usually transmitted by the bite of a rat:
a
: a disease that is marked by irregular relapsing fever with chills and nausea or vomiting, rashes on the arms, legs, hands and feet, and muscular pain and arthritis, and that is caused by a bacterium of the genus Streptobacillus (S. moniliformis)
b
: a disease that is marked by recurrent fever and chills, painful inflammation of the bite wound, and muscular pain, rash, and enlargement of the lymph nodes especially in the region where the bite occurred and that is caused by a bacterium of the genus Spirillum (S. minor synonym S. minus)
called also sodoku
More from Merriam-Webster on rat-bite fever
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rat-bite fever
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share