fever

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Abnormally high body temperature.
2. n. Any of various diseases characterized by abnormally high body temperature.
3. n. A condition of heightened activity or excitement: a fever of anticipation.
4. n. A contagious, usually short-lived enthusiasm or craze: disco fever.
5. v. To effect fever in.
6. v. To be or become feverish.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In pathol.: A temperature of the body higher than the normal temperature, appearing as a symptom of disease; pyrexia. The temperature of the body in health is between 98° and 99°F., and is maintained at this point by the adjustment of the production of bodily heat to its dissipation, both of these processes being largely under nervous control. During the period of invasion of a fever, or at any time when the temperature is rising, the heat produced exceeds the heat lost. If the rise is very rapid, the withdrawal of the blood from the skin, which diminishes the loss of heat, may give rise to a cold sensation or chill, which may be combined with an attack of shivering. By the latter the production of heat is increased. During fever the production of heat, while it may be greater than in a healthy body at rest, does not exceed what a healthy body can dispose of without experiencing increase of temperature. The consumption of the tissues of the body in fever exceeds ordinarily the repair, and there is more or less emaciation; the excretion of urea is increased; the pulse is usually quickened as well as the respiration; the bowels are apt to be constipated; and thirst, loss of appetite, headache, and vague pains are commonly complained of. Fever is caused by zymotic poisons, by local inflammation, or by overheating as in sunstroke, and is sometimes of exclusively nervous origin. It is unquestionably injurious to the patient when it is excessive or too long continued; in some cases, where it does not exceed certain limits, it is very probably innocuous, or may even be advantageous. Fever would ordinarily be called slight up to 101° or 102° F., moderate up to 103° or 103.5°, and high above this. Temperatures above 105° F. would be called excessively high, and to such the name of hyperpyrexia is applied. The limits of the significations of these terms are not precisely marked; they vary somewhat in the usage of different individuals. The prognostic significance of pyrexia depends on the accompanying conditions.
2. n. The group of symptoms consisting of pyrexia and the symptoms usually associated with it.
3. n. A disease in which pyrexia is a prominent symptom: as, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, etc.
4. n. Heat; agitation; excitement by anything that strongly affects the passions: as, a fever of suspense; a fever of contention.
5. n. Typhoid fever.
6. n. Digestive disturbance with rise of temperature and vomiting of bile.
7. n. Same as pemphigus.
8. n. Catarrh of the upper air-passages with fever.
9. n. Typhoid fever of a mild form.
10. n. Typhoid fever.
11. n. The pest.
12. n. Remittent fever.
13. n. Acute gastritis.
14. n. Relapsing fever.
15. n. Fever incident to some local inflammation.
16. n. Anthrax.
17. n. Simple continued fever.
18. n. Cattle-plague.
19. n. Typhoid fever.
20. n. Pyrexia of purely nervous origin.
21. n. Yellow fever.
22. n. Yellow fever.
23. n. The plague.
24. n. Typhus fever.
25. n. Typhoid fever.
26. n. Relapsing fever.
27. n. Ardent continued fever.
28. n. Remittent fever.
29. n. yellow fever in new-comers.
30. n. Relapsing fever.
31. n. Cerebrospinal meningitis.
32. n. A period of incubation of two weeks, more or less, terminating in prodromata lasting for a few days, and consisting in a general tired feeling and indisposition to exertion of any kind, lossof appetite, usually some constipation, slight headache, and pains in the limbs.
33. n. A period of invasion of a week or less, characterized by a gradually increasing temperature, with morning remissions and evening exacerbations, want of appetite, thirst, dry and coated tongue, frequent pulse, headache, often nose-bleed, usually constipation, often slight diarrhea, slightly tympanitic abdomen, with perhaps some tenderness and gurgling in the right iliac region, some enlargement of the spleen, perhaps slight delirium at night, and some bronchitis.
34. n. A period of continued pyrexia (fever) in which the temperature ceases to rise, and in which its daily variations are less. This period (fastigium) lasts for a week or two. The want of appetite, thirst, dry tongue, frequent pulse, headache, and bronchitis continue or are increased. The tympanitis, splenic enlargement, and delirium become more pronounced. Three or four soft yellow stools are passed daily. About the beginning of this period an eruption of small, pink, slightly raised spots appears on the skin, especially of the back and abdomen.
35. n. A period of defervescence, in which the fever gradually disappears and all the symptoms improve. This may last about a week. Cases vary much from this typical progress, and may be marked in addition by intestinal hemorrhage, perforation of the intestinal wall with collapse and peritonitis, thrombosis of the larger veins, especially the femoral, pneumonia, lobular and (rarely) lobar, or meningitis. Relapses (after a normal temperature has been reached) and recrudescences (before the fever has entirely disappeared) are not very uncommon. The mortality varies, but the average of recent reports is not far from 10 per cent. The main anatomical features are inflammation of Peyer's patches and of the solitary glands of the small and sometimes of the large intestine, with inflammation of the mesenteric lymphatic glands. Persons between fifteen and thirty years of age seem to be most frequently attacked. A previous attack produces a certain but not complete protection. The contagium seems to be given off from the sick mainly by the stools. The contamination of food and drink seems to be the most important mode of ingress. Personal contact does not materially increase exposure. Typhoid fever is now believed to be caused by a microscopic parasitic organism or bacillus, in length about one third the diameter of a red blood-corpuscle, in thickness about one third of its length, with rounded ends, mobile, forming spores at a temperature between 30° and 42°C., but not at lower temperatures, and forming minute brownish-yellow colonies on gelatin, which it does not soften. For synonyms, see phrases above.
36. To put in a fever; infect with fever.
37. To contract or develop fever.
38. n. A smith; an artisan.

Wiktionary

1. n. A higher than normal body temperature of a person (or, generally, a mammal), usually caused by disease.
2. n. Any of various diseases.
3. n. A state of excitement (of a person or people).
4. n. A group of stingrays.
5. v. To put into a fever; to affect with fever.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Med.) A diseased state of the system, marked by increased heat, acceleration of the pulse, and a general derangement of the functions, including usually, thirst and loss of appetite. Many diseases, of which fever is the most prominent symptom, are denominated fevers
2. n. Excessive excitement of the passions in consequence of strong emotion; a condition of great excitement.
3. v. rare To put into a fever; to affect with fever.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection
2. n. intense nervous anticipation