Febrile
/ˈfiːbraɪl/noun
Relating to or marked by fever.
Did you know?Febrile comes from Latin febris, “fever,” and even the Roman calendar month February traces back to rites of purification and fever-cleansing, tying heat, illness, and ritual together in one ancient word-family.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰegʷʰ-
“to burn, be hot”
Latin
Latin
febris
“fever, ague”
Late Latin
Latin
febrilis
“feverish, of a fever”
Middle French
French
fébrile
“feverish”
16th Century
English
febrile
“feverish; relating to fever”
Explore more surprising origins