fe|ver

fe|ver «FEE vuhr», noun, verb.

–n.

1. a) an unhealthy condition of the body in which the temperature is higher than normal (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees centigrade), often accompanied by rapid pulse and weakness. b) a body temperature that is greater than normal; pyrexia: »

Let fever sweat them till they tremble (W. H. Auden).

2. any one of various sicknesses that heat the body and make the heart beat fast: »

scarlet fever, typhoid fever, or yellow fever.

3. Figurative. an excited, restless condition; agitation: »

When gold was discovered, the miners were in a fever of excitement. Passion is a sort of fever in the mind (William Penn).

SYNONYM(S): ferment.

4. Figurative. a current fad or enthusiasm for something or for some person. SYNONYM(S): furor.

–v.t.

to affect with fever; heat: »

The scorching blast…fevers the blood (Alexander W. Kinglake).

–v.i.

to become feverish.

╂[Old English fefer < Latin febris]

–fe´ver|less, adjective.