Meaning & use
swamp fever
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Meanings
noununcountableold-fashionedinformal
An old informal name for malaria, a serious disease spread by mosquitoes in hot wet regions.
Grammar: Used without 'a' or a plural: 'He caught swamp fever in the tropics.'
Patterns
- catch swamp fever
- have swamp fever
- die of swamp fever
In the 19th century, settlers in the marshes often fell ill with swamp fever.
The doctor said the fever was swamp fever, and gave him quinine.
Swamp fever was once a common danger for workers building the canal.
noununcountabletechnical
A common name for a viral disease of horses and related animals, also called equine infectious anemia.
Grammar: Used mainly in farming and veterinary contexts, often with 'equine' for clarity.
Patterns
- equine swamp fever
- test a horse for swamp fever
- swamp fever in horses
The stable was quarantined after several horses tested positive for swamp fever.
Vets recommend a blood test to rule out swamp fever before moving animals between farms.
Swamp fever can spread quickly among horses kept in wet, crowded conditions.
Common combinations
- catch swamp fever
- Soldiers stationed near the river often caught swamp fever.
- a case of swamp fever
- The hospital reported several cases of swamp fever during the rainy season.
- swamp fever outbreak
- A swamp fever outbreak forced the ranch to close for a month.
- die of swamp fever
- Many pioneers died of swamp fever before the area was drained.
Synonyms and how they differ
- malaria
- Use 'malaria' in medical or modern contexts; 'swamp fever' sounds old-fashioned and vague.
- ague
- An even older word for a fever with shivering; it is not a precise medical term either.
Commonly confused: swamp fever or yellow fever? swamp fever or dengue fever?
swamp fever vs yellow fever
Yellow fever is a different mosquito-borne disease, common in tropical Africa and South America; swamp fever usually means malaria.
swamp fever vs dengue fever
Dengue is another mosquito-borne illness with severe joint pain; it is not called swamp fever.
Practice
In an old British novel, a character living near marshes is said to have 'swamp fever.' What does this most likely mean?
Choose one answer.
'Swamp fever' was an old informal name for malaria, which was common in wet, marshy areas. It is not a horse disease in this context, and it is not a cold or a plant.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “swamp fever”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.