pyrogen
|py-ro-gen|
🇺🇸
/ˈpaɪ.rə.dʒən/
🇬🇧
/ˈpaɪ.rəʊ.dʒən/
fever-producer
Etymology
'pyrogen' originates from New Latin/modern scientific coinage, ultimately from Greek elements: Greek 'pyr' (πῦρ) meaning 'fire' and Greek 'genēs' meaning 'born' or 'producing'.
'pyrogen' was formed in scientific/medical usage by combining the Greek root 'pyr-' and the suffix '-gen' (from Greek 'genēs') via New Latin/modern coinage and was adopted into English usage in the 19th century.
Initially the components literally conveyed 'producer of fire/heat', but in medical contexts the meaning evolved to 'a substance that produces fever' (internal heat relating to physiology).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a substance that, when introduced into the body or blood, produces fever; broadly, a fever-producing agent (often bacterial or microbial products).
The laboratory tested the solution for pyrogens before using it in injectable drugs.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/28 07:16