fever
Definition
noun
Also called pyrexia
- a rise in body temperatureExamples She is running a slight fever. • You must stay in bed until the fever has gone down.
- a condition when the temperature of the body is higher than usual
COMMENT Average oral body temperature is about 98.6° F or 37° C and rectal temperature is about 99° F or 37.2° C. A fever often makes the patient feel cold, and is accompanied by pains in the joints. Most fevers are caused by infections. Infections which result in fever include cat-scratch fever, dengue, malaria, meningitis, psittacosis, Q fever, rheumatic fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, scarlet fever, septicaemia, typhoid fever, typhus and yellow fever.