Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having the appearance of millet seeds.
  • adjective Medicine Characterized by the presence of small skin lesions that have the size and appearance of millet seeds.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Resembling millet-seeds, especially in size (about one or two millimeters in diameter); accompanied by formations of this size: as, miliary glands; miliary tuberculosis; miliary fever. See gland, tuberculosis, fever.
  • noun In the Echinoidea, one of the very small tubercles on the surface of the test which serve as bases for the lesser spines.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Like millet seeds.
  • adjective (Med.) Accompanied with an eruption like millet seeds.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) Small and numerous.
  • noun (Zoöl.) One of the small tubercles of Echini.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to millet seeds
  • adjective medicine Having small lesions that are the shape and size of millet seeds
  • noun zoology One of the small tubercles of Echinus sea urchins.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Middle English miliaris, miliari, skin disease characterized by miliary eruptions, from Medieval Latin miliāris, from Latin miliārius, of millet, from milium, millet; see millet.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin miliārius < milium.

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Examples

  • I have had nothing lately to tell you but illnesses and distempers: there is what they call a miliary fever raging, which has taken off a great many people, It was scarce known till within these seven or eight years, but apparently increases every spring and autumn.

    The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 1 Horace Walpole 1757

  • But still, if you don't do good in school, or don't get a decent education, you theoretically could wind up in Iraq as the miliary might be your only other option.

    Sound Politics: The gift that keeps on giving 2006

  • The Duke of Devonshire is gone to Spa; he was stopped for a week by a rash, which those who wished it so, called a miliary fever, but was so far from it that if he does not find immediate benefit from Spa, he is to go to Aix-la-Chapelle, in hopes that the warm baths will supple his skin, and promote another eruption.

    The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3 Horace Walpole 1757

  • The TB vaccine is good at protecting against the severe form of disease found in young children (called "miliary" TB), but not as good at protecting against the lung infection commonly found in adolescents and adults.

    Tuberculosis Vaccine 2008

  • Those under 5 years old are susceptible to a very severe form of TB (called "miliary" TB) that spreads to many parts of the body, including the lining of the brain (meninges), and is often fatal.

    Tuberculosis Vaccine 2008

  • Let me be clearer: The TB bacillus is one of many causal factors of the several kinds of TB ( "miliary," etc.).

    The Ducking Stool Rigney, Francis J. 1983

  • Although data suggest that it has mixed success at preventing TB, it does appear to prevent the more serious forms of disease (such as miliary TB and TB meningitis) in HIV-negative children.

    unknown title 2009

  • Although data suggest that it has mixed success at preventing TB, it does appear to prevent the more serious forms of disease (such as miliary TB and TB meningitis) in HIV-negative children.

    unknown title 2009

  • I do oppose any uniform being worn in a gay pride parade or any other instance not approved by the miliary.

    'Don't ask, don't tell' to get Senate committee review, senator says 2009

  • I realize that the Obama administration is dealing with a lot right now, but good men and women are being removed from a miliary that needs their services.

    Gates considering selective enforcement of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' 2009

Comments

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  • "Resembling millet-seeds, especially in size (about one or two millimeters in diameter); accompanied by formations of this size: as, miliary glands; miliary tuberculosis; miliary fever."

    --Cent. Dict.

    September 17, 2012