relapsing fever: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowMedical/Technical
Quick answer
What does “relapsing fever” mean?
An infectious disease caused by certain bacteria transmitted by ticks or lice, characterized by recurring episodes of high fever separated by periods of normal temperature.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An infectious disease caused by certain bacteria transmitted by ticks or lice, characterized by recurring episodes of high fever separated by periods of normal temperature.
A term sometimes used metaphorically to describe any situation or problem that repeatedly returns after periods of apparent resolution.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in medical usage; both use the same term.
Connotations
Purely medical/clinical in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both varieties, limited to medical contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “relapsing fever” in a Sentence
suffer from relapsing fevercontract relapsing feverbe diagnosed with relapsing feverVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “relapsing fever” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The patient may relapse with fever episodes.
American English
- The fever can relapse multiple times.
adverb
British English
- The fever recurred relapsingly.
American English
- Symptoms appeared relapsingly over weeks.
adjective
British English
- The relapsing fever pattern was characteristic.
American English
- She had a relapsing fever illness.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used
Academic
Used in medical and public health research papers
Everyday
Rarely used outside medical discussions
Technical
Standard term in medical diagnostics, epidemiology, and infectious disease literature
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “relapsing fever”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “relapsing fever”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “relapsing fever”
- Confusing with 'recurrent fever' which is a broader category
- Using as a general metaphor without medical context
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it's not directly contagious between people; it requires transmission via ticks or lice.
Various Borrelia species, different from those causing Lyme disease.
With antibiotics like doxycycline or penicillin, depending on the specific type.
Yes, through vector control (avoiding tick/louse bites) and in some cases prophylactic antibiotics for high-risk exposures.
An infectious disease caused by certain bacteria transmitted by ticks or lice, characterized by recurring episodes of high fever separated by periods of normal temperature.
Relapsing fever is usually medical/technical in register.
Relapsing fever: in British English it is pronounced /rɪˈlæpsɪŋ ˈfiːvə/, and in American English it is pronounced /rɪˈlæpsɪŋ ˈfivər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this term”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'relapse' (to fall back) + 'fever' – a fever that keeps falling back and returning.
Conceptual Metaphor
A problem that keeps coming back like a recurring illness.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary vector for louse-borne relapsing fever?