A serious illness caused by being exposed to the sun's heat for too long, resulting in fever, weakness, and confusion.
Compound of 'sun' (Old English 'sunne') and 'stroke' (a sudden attack or hit). The term emerged in the 18th-19th centuries when doctors recognized sun exposure as a specific medical danger, comparing it to being 'struck' by the sun.
Sunstroke kills through a mechanism your body does on purpose—it stops sweating to conserve water, which then causes your core temperature to spike dangerously high.
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