Chill
Chill
Chill (/tʃɪl/), from the Old English ciele meaning "coldness", is a term used in medicine to describe a feeling of coldness occurring during a high fever, but with no external cause. The term can also refer to a slight but penetrating sense of coldness, a shiver or a feeling of dread.
Medical Definition
In a medical context, a chill is often a sign of a fever or an infection and is characterized by shivering, paleness and feeling cold despite being in a warm environment. This is due to the body's attempt to raise its temperature to fight off the infection.
Related Terms
- Fever: A temporary increase in body temperature, often due to an illness.
- Shivering: An involuntary response to coldness, in which the muscles contract rapidly to produce heat.
- Infection: The invasion of an organism's body tissues by disease-causing agents.
- Hypothermia: A medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature.
- Hyperthermia: A condition characterized by an abnormally high body temperature, typically caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
Etymology
The term "chill" comes from the Old English ciele which means "coldness". It has been used in the English language since at least the 14th century to describe the sensation of coldness.
Pronunciation
Chill is pronounced as /tʃɪl/.
See Also
- Thermoregulation: The ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different.
- Fever: A common medical symptom characterized by an abnormally high body temperature.
- Cold Chill: A sudden feeling of coldness, often accompanied by shivering and pallor, which can be a symptom of various diseases.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Chill
- Wikipedia's article - Chill
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