fever

Pluralfevers

Formsfevers, fevering, fevered

1. 1
   nouncountable or uncountable

   A body temperature that is higher than normal, usually caused by illness.

   Like your body getting too hot inside when you are sick.

   She had a fever and stayed home from school.

   The baby's fever finally went down after the medicine.

   Similartemperature

   Note
2. 2
   nounusually singular

   A strong feeling of excitement or worry.

   Like the jumpy feeling before a big game when you can't sit still.

   The fans waited in a fever of excitement for the gates to open.

   A fever of worry gripped the town as the storm approached.

   Similarfrenzy, fervor, ferment, furor, excitement

   Oppositecalm

   Note
3. 3
   nouncountable or uncountablein compounds

   Any of several diseases, such as yellow fever or typhoid.

   A deadly fever spread through the village, killing dozens within weeks.

   Doctors had no cure for the fevers common in the swamps.

   Similardisease, illness

   Note
4. 4
   verbintransitive

   To start to have a fever.

   If your son starts to fever again tonight, bring him back to the clinic.

   The little girl was fevering all night, so her parents hardly slept.

5. 5
   verbtransitive

   To make someone have a fever.

   The bad cut on its paw fevered the old dog for days.

   Sleeping out in the cold rain fevered the little boy.

   Similarsicken, infect

   Note
6. 6
   nounslangderogatoryuncountablein compounds

   Sexual interest in people from one certain group, used after a word that names the group.

   Her friends teased her about her firefighter fever after her third date with a man from the fire station.

   He says it is just a joke, but his Asian fever makes the women he dates feel like a type.

   Note
7. 7
   nounneologismcountable

   A group of stingrays swimming together.

   A fever of stingrays glided across the sandy seabed.

   On our boat trip, we saw a fever of stingrays close to the beach.

   Note

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