migraine

[ mahy-greynor, British, mee- ]

noun

1. an extremely severe paroxysmal headache, usually confined to one side of the head and often associated with nausea; hemicrania.

migraine

/ ˈmaɪ-; ˈmiːɡreɪn /

noun

1. a throbbing headache usually affecting only one side of the head and commonly accompanied by nausea and visual disturbances

migraine

/ mī′grān′ /

1. A severe recurring headache, usually affecting only one side of the head, that is characterized by sharp, throbbing pain and is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and visual disturbances. Vasodilation in the brain causes inflammation that results in pain, but the exact cause of migraine is unknown.

Derived Forms

• ˈmigrainous, adjective

Other Words From

• mi·grainoid adjective
• mi·grainous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of migraine¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin hēmicrānia hemicrania; megrim

Word History and Origins

Origin of migraine¹

C18: (earlier form, C14 mygrame megrim ¹): from French, from Late Latin hēmicrānia pain in half of the head, from Greek hēmikrania, from hemi- + kranion cranium

Example Sentences

Angharad Dennis knew the signs of a stroke because her grandmother experienced them, and having migraines made her wonder if she too might be more at risk.

From BBC

He was diagnosed with a complex migraine that led to extreme fatigue and body weakness.

From Los Angeles Times

But in her late teens, she began getting hammered by excruciating migraines, and later had severe vertigo.

From Los Angeles Times

I remain her emergency contact, of course, receiving, over the last few years, texted updates of a midmorning migraine, the just-noticed emergence of a wisdom tooth or a more existential crisis.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, he argued, Anderson’s symptoms were the result of a vestibular migraine, which can be triggered by red wine — among the drinks Anderson consumed that day.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• headache
• sick headache