pre-febrile
|pre-fe-brile|
/ˌpriːˈfiːbraɪl/
before fever
Etymology
'pre-febrile' originates from Latin, specifically the prefix 'prae' and the word 'febris', where 'prae-' meant 'before' and 'febris' meant 'fever'.
'pre-febrile' changed from Medieval Latin forms such as 'praefebrīlis' (literally 'before fever') and was later formed in modern English usage as the compound 'pre-' + 'febrile' in medical contexts.
Initially, it meant 'before fever', and over time it has retained that specialized medical meaning of indicating the period or signs preceding a fever.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to the period or state immediately before the onset of a fever; indicating prodromal signs that precede fever.
The patient showed pre-febrile symptoms such as fatigue and mild headache.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/02 23:07