fog fever: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowSpecialist / Veterinary
Quick answer
What does “fog fever” mean?
A type of acute, severe lung disease affecting cattle, typically occurring in autumn.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A type of acute, severe lung disease affecting cattle, typically occurring in autumn.
A veterinary term for acute bovine pulmonary edema and emphysema, often triggered by cattle eating lush pasture after a dry period.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical difference. Both varieties use the same term in veterinary contexts.
Connotations
Solely veterinary/agricultural. No broader cultural connotations.
Frequency
Exclusively used within farming and veterinary communities in both regions. Extremely rare in general language.
Grammar
How to Use “fog fever” in a Sentence
The [noun: herd] contracted fog fever.Fog fever broke out among the [noun: cattle].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “fog fever” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- [Noun phrase only; no verb form.]
American English
- [Noun phrase only; no verb form.]
adverb
British English
- [Noun phrase only; no adverbial form.]
American English
- [Noun phrase only; no adverbial form.]
adjective
British English
- [Noun phrase only; no adjectival form.]
American English
- [Noun phrase only; no adjectival form.]
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
[Not applicable]
Academic
Used in veterinary science papers and agricultural research.
Everyday
Almost never used. Would only be used by farmers or veterinarians discussing animal health.
Technical
Primary context. A precise diagnosis with specific pathological characteristics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “fog fever”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “fog fever”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “fog fever”
- Using it to describe human illness or general confusion.
- Confusing it with 'fog' (weather) or 'fever' (high temperature).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, fog fever is not a zoonotic disease. It is specific to ruminants, primarily cattle.
It is associated with cattle eating lush, rapidly growing pasture (often in autumn) which contains high levels of L-tryptophan, metabolized in the rumen to a toxin affecting the lungs.
It is most common in cattle. Similar conditions are rare in other ruminants like sheep.
No, the 'fog' in the name is thought to derive from an old Scottish or Northern English word for 'aftermath' (second growth of grass), not from meteorological fog.
A type of acute, severe lung disease affecting cattle, typically occurring in autumn.
Fog fever is usually specialist / veterinary in register.
Fog fever: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfɒɡ ˌfiːvə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfɑːɡ ˌfiːvər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None. This is a technical term.]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: Autumn FOG on the pasture gives cattle a FEVER in their lungs.
Conceptual Metaphor
None. Literal, technical term.
Practice
Quiz
What is 'fog fever'?