milk fever: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2 / TechnicalTechnical/Medical/Veterinary
Quick answer
What does “milk fever” mean?
An acute metabolic disease in recently calved cows, caused by low blood calcium levels.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An acute metabolic disease in recently calved cows, caused by low blood calcium levels.
By extension, an informal or historical term for puerperal fever in humans following childbirth, though this usage is now outdated.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage; it is a standard international veterinary term.
Connotations
Technical and specific in both regions; no informal use.
Frequency
Identically low in general discourse, but standard within farming and veterinary contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “milk fever” in a Sentence
The cow had milk fever.The farmer treated the milk fever with calcium.Milk fever is caused by hypocalcaemia.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “milk fever” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The vet is milking the cow carefully after she milk-fevered.
- They were worried the herd would milk fever.
American English
- The cow milk-fevered right after calving.
- We need to watch heifers that might milk fever.
adverb
British English
- The cow recovered milk-feveredly.
- The farmer acted milk-feveringly.
American English
- None standard.
adjective
British English
- The milk-fever cow needed urgent treatment.
- A milk-fever case was reported.
American English
- The milk-fevered animal was down in the stall.
- We have a milk-fever protocol.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Relevant in agricultural business reports: 'The new feed formula reduced incidents of milk fever in the herd.'
Academic
Used in veterinary science journals: 'The study examined intravenous versus subcutaneous calcium protocols for milk fever.'
Everyday
Rare in everyday conversation unless discussing farming: 'The vet's coming; we think Daisy has milk fever.'
Technical
Precise veterinary diagnosis: 'Diagnosis of milk fever is based on clinical signs and serum calcium levels.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “milk fever”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “milk fever”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “milk fever”
- Using it to refer to a high temperature in breastfeeding women (incorrect). Confusing it with mastitis (a different condition).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, milk fever is a metabolic disorder, not an infectious disease. It cannot spread from one animal to another.
No. Historically, the term was sometimes used for puerperal fever after childbirth, but this is obsolete. Humans do not get the veterinary condition 'milk fever'.
It is caused by a sudden drop in blood calcium levels (hypocalcaemia) when the cow starts producing large amounts of milk (colostrum) after calving.
It is treated with intravenous or subcutaneous calcium solutions. Quick treatment is essential for recovery.
An acute metabolic disease in recently calved cows, caused by low blood calcium levels.
Milk fever is usually technical/medical/veterinary in register.
Milk fever: in British English it is pronounced /ˈmɪlk ˌfiːvə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈmɪlk ˌfiːvər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: MILK FEVER = MILK production causes calcium FEVER (metabolic heat/stress) in the cow.
Conceptual Metaphor
DISEASE IS A FIRE (a 'fever' that disrupts the system during milk production).
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'milk fever' primarily and correctly used today?