fever

pronunciation

How to pronounce fever in British English: UK [ˈfiːvə(r)]word uk audio image

How to pronounce fever in American English: US [ˈfiːvər] word us audio image

  • Noun:
    a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection
    intense nervous anticipation

Word Origin

fever
fever: [OE] The underlying meaning of fever, ‘high temperature’, suggests that it goes back ultimately to Indo-European *dhegh-, *dhogh- ‘burn’ (which also produced English day, favour, and forment). Descended from it was Latin febris ‘fever’, which English acquired during Anglo-Saxon times as fēfor. The modern form of the word is partly due to the influence of the related Old French fievre.=> day, favour, foment
fever (n.)
earlier also feaver, late Old English fefor, fefer "fever, temperature of the body higher than normal," from Latin febris "fever," related to fovere "to warm, heat," probably from PIE root *dhegh- "burn" (cognates: Gothic dags, Old English dæg "day," originally "the heat;" Greek tephra "ashes"); but some suggest a reduplication of a root represented by Sanskrit *bhur- "to be restless." The Latin word was adopted into most Germanic languages (German Fieber, Swedish feber, Danish feber), but not in Dutch. English spelling influenced by Old French fievre. Alternative to Old English hrið, hriðing (cognate with Old High German hritto, Irish crith, Welsh cryd, Lithuanian skriečiù). Extended sense of "intense nervous excitement" is from 1580s. Also as a verb in Old English, feferian.

Example

1. A fever also can affect sperm production and quality .
2. A man with hay fever is a natural criminal .
3. This would eliminate the fever of land speculation .
4. Yellow fever malaria 's frequent companion soon followed .
5. Horrible symptoms include fever , internal bleeding and liver failure .

more: >How to Use "fever" with Example Sentences