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hyperthermia
/ˌhaɪpə(ɹ)ˈθɜː(ɹ)miə/abnormally high body temperature
From Greek hyper (over) + Greek therm (heat).
Word Ancestry
This is a word that sounds as if it arrived wearing a white lab coat. In 1878, medical Latin stitched together hyper- and therm- to name a body running too hot, and the result is wonderfully transparent once you see it: not just heat, but heat gone past the line. The first half shows up in hyperactive and hypercritical; the second is the same ancient heat that warms thermal baths and powers thermometers. Greek did the heavy lifting on both sides, which means the word is almost a little etymological overkill: excess plus heat, as if one warning label weren’t enough. Say it out loud and you can practically feel the fever rising.
The Story
This is a word that sounds as if it arrived wearing a white lab coat. In 1878, medical Latin stitched together hyper- and therm- to name a body running too hot, and the result is wonderfully transparent once you see it: not just heat, but heat gone past the line. The first half shows up in hyperactive and hypercritical; the second is the same ancient heat that warms thermal baths and powers thermometers. Greek did the heavy lifting on both sides, which means the word is almost a little etymological overkill: excess plus heat, as if one warning label weren’t enough. Say it out loud and you can practically feel the fever rising.
Kin & Kindred
From 'hyper'·over, beyond, excessive
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'therm'·heat
Derived Terms
English words from this root