Hectic Fever
/ˈhɛktɪk ˈfiːvə(r)/noun
An intermittent fever, especially the fever historically associated with tuberculosis and other wasting diseases.
Did you know?In older medical writing, a “hectic” fever was linked to consumption—tuberculosis—because its recurring flushes, night sweats, and wasting seemed to consume the body from within.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*seǵʰ-
“To hold, have, or keep; a proposed ancestral root behind the Greek word for a bodily state.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
hektikós
“Habitual or constitutional; later associated with a persistent consumptive fever.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
héxis
“A state, condition, or bodily disposition.”
Late Latin
Latin
hecticus
“Pertaining to a persistent fever, especially the fever of wasting disease.”
Middle English
English
etik / hectik
“A hectic or wasting fever; a fever associated with consumption.”
16th–17th Century
English
hectic fever
“A recurrent fever, commonly understood as a symptom of tuberculosis.”
Modern English
English
hectic fever
“A historical medical term for an intermittent fever, particularly one accompanying tuberculosis or severe wasting illness.”