| ague | 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. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. (Med.) A fever characterized by paroxysms of high fever and shaking chills. [ 1913 Webster + AS ] 3. The cold fit or rigor of malaria or any other intermittent fever; as, fever and ague. [ 1913 Webster + AS ] 4. A chill, or state of shaking, as with cold. Dryden. AS [ 1913 Webster ] 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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
|
| agueweed | n. 1. 1 a gentian of East North America having clusters of bristly blue flowers. Syn. -- ague weed, five-flowered gentian, stiff gentian, Gentianella quinquefolia, Gentiana quinquefolia [ WordNet 1.5 ] 2. a perennial herb of the southeastern U. S. having white-rayed flower heads. It was formerly used in folk medicine. Syn. -- boneset, thoroughwort, Eupatorium perfoliatum [ WordNet 1.5 ] |