Antifebrile

/ˌæntiˈfɛbrəl/ adjective

Definition

Acting to reduce or prevent fever; cooling or soothing to someone with a high temperature.

Etymology

From anti- (against) + febrile (from Latin febris meaning fever). The term is primarily used in medical and pharmaceutical contexts.

Kelly Says

Before modern medicine, people used antifebrile treatments like cold water wraps, willow bark tea, and bloodletting to fight fevers—some worked, some didn't, but what's fascinating is that running a fever is actually the body's clever immune response, so aggressive antifebrile treatment can sometimes interfere with healing.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.