Ague \A"gue\, n. [OE. agu, ague, OF. agu, F. aigu, sharp, OF.
fem. ague, LL. (febris) acuta, a sharp, acute fever, fr. L.
acutus sharp. See Acute.]
1. An acute fever. [Obs.]
``Brenning agues.'' --P. Plowman.
2. (Med.) An intermittent fever, attended by alternate cold
and hot fits.
3. The cold fit or rigor of the intermittent fever; as, fever
and ague.
4. A chill, or state of shaking, as with cold. --Dryden.
Ague cake, an enlargement of the spleen produced by ague.
Ague drop, a solution of the arsenite of potassa used for
ague.
Ague fit, a fit of the ague. --Shak.
Ague spell, a spell or charm against ague. --Gay.
Ague tree, the sassafras, -- sometimes so called from the
use of its root formerly, in cases of ague. [Obs.]
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) |