calenture

noun

cal·en·ture ˈka-lən-ˌchu̇r

: a fever formerly supposed to affect sailors in the tropics

Did you know?

In addition to being plagued by scurvy and homesickness, sailors of yore who dared the tropics also had calenture to worry about. Given a case of this fever they were likely to imagine that the sea was actually a green field and to leap into it. Our earliest evidence of the word in English is from the late 16th century. Such potent imagery destined the word for figurative use also. "Calenture" has its origins in a Spanish word of the same meaning, "calentura," which itself traces to Latin calēre, meaning "to be warm." Other words from "calēre" include "calorie," "cauldron," and "scald."

Word History

Etymology

Spanish calentura, from calentar to heat, from Latin calent-, calens, present participle of calēre to be warm — more at lee

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of calenture was in 1582

See more words from the same year

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

Style

“Calenture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calenture. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

obfuscate

Listen to the pronunciation of obfuscate

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!