fever

/ˈfivər/

/ˈfivə/

Other forms: fevers

A fever happens when the body's internal temperature is higher than normal. If you have a sore throat, a headache, and a fever, you may have the flu.

When you have a fever, your skin may feel hot, and your temperature as measured by a thermometer will be high. A fever can also make you feel achy, tired, and chilly, and it can be a sign that you've got some kind of infection. The Old English is fefor, from a Latin root, febris, also "fever." Doctors and nurses sometimes refer to a fever as a "febrile response."

Definitions of fever

1. noun

   a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection
   synonyms: febricity, febrility, feverishness, pyrexia

   types:

   hyperpyrexia

   extremely high fever (especially in children)

   type of:

   symptom

   (medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease
2. noun

   intense nervous anticipation
   “in a fever of resentment”

   types:

   buck fever

   nervous excitement of an inexperienced hunter

   gold fever

   greed and the contagious excitement of a gold rush

   type of:

   anticipation, expectancy

   an expectation