FEVER

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English fēfer, from Latin febris Date: before 12th century 1. a rise of body temperature above the normal, any of various diseases of which ~ is a prominent symptom, 2. a state of heightened or intense emotion or activity, a contagious usually transient enthusiasm ; craze , II. verb (~ed; ~ing) Date: 1606 transitive verb to throw into a ~ ; agitate , intransitive verb to contract or be in a ~ ; become ~ish