cover of episode Calenture

Calenture

2023/11/8
logo of podcast Word of the Day

Word of the Day

Frequently requested episodes will be transcribed first

Shownotes Transcript

Calenture is a noun that refers to a fever or illness brought on by heat. 

The Latin word calere means ‘be warm.’ By the late 16th century, our word of the day had begun being employed to describe a fever often caught by sailors in the tropics. More recently, it’s been used to describe any kind of feverish delirium caused by heated temperatures. Example:

After one week, the Bahamas, I found myself suffering from calenture. I was so delirious I nearly passed up a fried fish sandwich — something I would never do in my right mind.