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

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!