tertian: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2technical/medical
Quick answer
What does “tertian” mean?
recurring every other day.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
recurring every other day.
A type of fever (especially malaria) with paroxysms occurring every other day; also, relating to the musical interval of a third.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical and equally rare in both varieties.
Connotations
Historical/medical; strongly associated with descriptions of malaria.
Frequency
Extremely low-frequency outside of specialized medical or historical texts.
Grammar
How to Use “tertian” in a Sentence
adjective + noun (tertian malaria)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “tertian” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The patient exhibited classic tertian fever cycles.
- Historical records describe tertian ague sweeping the fens.
American English
- The diagnosis was tertian malaria.
- He studied the tertian periodicity of the parasite.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Academic
Used in medical history papers describing historical disease patterns.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Used in tropical medicine and parasitology to classify Plasmodium vivax malaria.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “tertian”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “tertian”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tertian”
- Using it to mean 'third in a series' (that's tertiary).
- Mispronouncing it as /ˈtɜːrtiən/.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Tertian' refers specifically to recurrence every other day (especially fever). 'Tertiary' means third in order, level, or stage.
No. It is a highly specialized medical term, largely confined to historical texts or specific discussions of malaria subtypes.
Archaically, yes. 'Tertian harmony' refers to chords built from thirds. However, this usage is rare and technical, mostly found in historical music theory texts.
A 'quotidian' fever, which recurs daily.
recurring every other day.
Tertian is usually technical/medical in register.
Tertian: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtɜːʃ(ə)n/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtɜːrʃən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'third' or 'tertiary' – every third day if you count inclusively? Actually, it's every other day: Day 1 (fever), Day 2 (well), Day 3 (fever again).
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A CYCLE (of illness and respite).
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the word 'tertian' most commonly used?