cat-scratch fever: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low (specialized medical term; colloquial metaphorical use is very rare)Medical/technical; informal (metaphorical use)
Quick answer
What does “cat-scratch fever” mean?
A bacterial infection transmitted to humans through scratches, bites, or licks from cats, caused primarily by Bartonella henselae.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A bacterial infection transmitted to humans through scratches, bites, or licks from cats, caused primarily by Bartonella henselae.
Informally used to describe a state of being temporarily over-excited or agitated by something trivial or fleeting (rare, metaphorical extension).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in the medical term. The metaphorical usage is equally rare in both variants.
Connotations
Medical: neutral/pathological. Informal: potentially humorous, implying a trivial cause for a disproportionate reaction.
Frequency
The term is known to medical professionals and the general public primarily due to the 1977 rock song of the same name by Ted Nugent.
Grammar
How to Use “cat-scratch fever” in a Sentence
Patient + develop/contract + cat-scratch feverCat scratch/bite + cause + cat-scratch feverDiagnose + patient + with + cat-scratch feverVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in medical, veterinary, and public health contexts.
Everyday
Used when discussing pet-related health issues or recalling the song.
Technical
Precise term in clinical medicine and microbiology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cat-scratch fever”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cat-scratch fever”
- Hyphenating inconsistently (cat scratch fever vs. cat-scratch fever). The hyphenated form is standard for the medical term.
- Confusing it with 'cat scratch' which is just the injury, not the disease.
- Capitalizing it as a proper noun (not required).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
For most healthy individuals, it is a mild, self-limiting illness that resolves without treatment. However, it can be more severe for people with weakened immune systems.
Often, no antibiotic treatment is needed for mild cases. In more severe or systemic cases, antibiotics like azithromycin may be prescribed.
Yes, the bacteria can be transmitted through bites as well as scratches, and potentially through contact with flea faeces on the cat's fur.
The 1977 rock song by Ted Nugent uses the term metaphorically and provocatively to refer to sexual excitement, not the medical condition.
A bacterial infection transmitted to humans through scratches, bites, or licks from cats, caused primarily by Bartonella henselae.
Cat-scratch fever is usually medical/technical; informal (metaphorical use) in register.
Cat-scratch fever: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkæt skrætʃ ˌfiːvə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkæt skrætʃ ˌfiːvər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None directly. The term itself is sometimes used metaphorically, e.g., 'He's got a bad case of cat-scratch fever over that new video game.']”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a CAT giving a SCRATCH that causes a FEVER.
Conceptual Metaphor
DISEASE IS AN INVADER (pathogenic). Informal metaphor: A MINOR STIMULUS IS A DISEASE CAUSING DISPROPORTIONATE EFFECT.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary cause of cat-scratch fever?