defervescence

See also: défervescence

English

Etymology

From Latin defervescere (“to grow cool”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌdɛfəˈvɛsəns/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌdɛfɚˈvɛsəns/

Noun

defervescence (countable and uncountable, plural defervescences)

1. The departure or subsiding of a fever.
   • 2003, Cartmell et al., J Physiol. 2003;549.2:653–664:

     Endogenous interleukin-10 is required for the defervescence of fever evoked by local lipopolysaccharide-induced and Staphylococcus aureus-induced inflammation in rats.

   • 2007, Management of Fever in Infants University of Chicago: Pediatric Chief Residents' Website, online Apr. 2007:

     ...alternation of Tylenol and Motrin has not been proven to provide faster defervescence.

Derived terms

• postdefervescence

 

References

• defervescence, in Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 523. ISBN 037572026.
• defervescence at Merriam-Webster online.