breakbone fever

noun

break·​bone fever ˈbrāk-ˈbōn- How to pronounce breakbone fever (audio)
: dengue

Examples of breakbone fever in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In cases of dengue, the body aches and joint pain can be so severe that the illness is commonly known as breakbone fever. Matthew Binnicker, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024 Dengue, also known as breakbone fever, is endemic in more than 100 countries and every year, 100 million to 400 million people become infected, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Helen Regan, CNN, 3 Oct. 2023 Many cases of dengue — also known as breakbone fever — are mild or even asymptomatic, but severe cases can be fatal. Lyric Li, Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2023 Chikungunya, a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes and known as breakbone fever, is found in Latin America but not on the islands. Judy Stone, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022 Its nickname, breakbone fever, gives you a sense of how lousy dengue makes people feel. Helen Branswell, STAT, 26 Dec. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of breakbone fever was in 1855

Dictionary Entries Near breakbone fever

Cite this Entry

“Breakbone fever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breakbone%20fever. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

breakbone fever

noun
break·​bone fever ˌbrāk-ˌbōn- How to pronounce breakbone fever (audio)
: dengue

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