ague

[ ey-gyoo ]

noun

1. Pathology. a malarial fever characterized by regularly returning paroxysms, marked by successive cold, hot, and sweating fits.
2. a fit of fever or shivering or shaking chills, accompanied by malaise, pains in the bones and joints, etc.; chill.

ague

/ ˈeɪɡjuː /

noun

1. a fever with successive stages of fever and chills esp when caused by malaria
2. a fit of shivering

Derived Forms

• ˈaguish, adjective

Other Words From

• ague·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ague¹

1250–1300; Middle English < Middle French, short for fievre ague acute fever < Latin febris acūta

Word History and Origins

Origin of ague¹

C14: from Old French ( fievre ) ague acute fever; see acute

Example Sentences

To add to their troubles, fever and ague attacked most of the white men, and one of them (Ogilvie) died on the journey.

From Project Gutenberg

For a sick woman, to be sure, the ague fit had left its victim for that day, and she was feeling better.

From Project Gutenberg

A severe attack of fever and ague was the result of Dorothy passing the night upon the heath.

From Project Gutenberg

Again an ague of beauty caught him, and he needed to hurl himself full length upon the mats until the ecstacy was past.

From Project Gutenberg

Dale dragged himself to a sitting posture and began shivering as if suffering from ague.

From Project Gutenberg