fe ‧ ver /ˈfiːvə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 900-1000 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: febris ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] an illness or a medical condition in which you have a very high temperature:
Andy has a fever and won’t be coming into work today.
I woke up this morning with a fever and an upset stomach.
She’s running a fever (=has a fever) .
a high/low/slight fever
The usual symptoms are a pink rash with a slight fever.
⇨ ↑ hay fever , ↑ scarlet fever , ↑ yellow fever , ↑ glandular fever , ↑ rheumatic fever
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In everyday English, people usually use fever to talk about a very high temperature. If someone's temperature is just high, they say that someone has a temperature rather than has a fever :
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He stayed home from school because he had a temperature.
2 . [singular] a situation in which many people feel very excited or feel very strongly about something
fever of
a fever of excitement on Wall Street
election/carnival etc fever (=great interest or excitement about a particular activity or event)
Soccer fever has been sweeping the nation as they prepare for the World Cup.
3 . (at) fever pitch British English if people’s feelings are at fever pitch, they are extremely excited:
The nation was at fever pitch in the days leading up to the election.
After a night of rioting, tensions in the city reached fever pitch.
⇨ ↑ cabin fever