brain fever

See also: brain-fever

English

Alternative forms

• brain-fever

Noun

brain fever (countable and uncountable, plural brain fevers)

1. (pathology, dated) encephalitis or meningitis
2. (dated) A state of hysteria or temporary insanity caused by an emotional shock.
   • 1893, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Cardboard Box:

     We found that the news of the arrival of the packet—for her illness dated from that time—had such an effect upon her as to bring on brain fever.

Derived terms

• brain-fever bird