Definition of febrile

The word "febrile" has its roots in the Latin verb "febere," which means "to fever." In the 16th century, medical practitioners began to use the term " febrilis" in Latin to describe the symptoms of fever, including chills, sweating, and a higher than normal body temperature. When English replaced Latin as the primary language of medicine in the 19th century, "febrile" emerged as the English equivalent of "febris" or "febrilis." It is now commonly used to describe conditions where fever is present as a symptom, such as febrile convulsions in patients with high fevers, febrile neutropenia during chemotherapy, or febrile diseases like malaria. In addition to its medical definition, "febrile" has also been used figuratively to describe intense or passionate emotions, as feverish feelings can have a similar intensity to the symptoms of a fever. However, this usage of "febrile" is less common in medical contexts.