fever

Feed a cold and starve a fever.

Prov. You should feed someone who has a cold, and withhold food from someone who has a fever.; (or, interpreted differently) If you feed someone who has a cold, that will ward off a fever. Jill: I don't feel like going out to lunch with you. I have a cold. Jane: All the more reason you should get something to eat. Feed a cold and starve a fever, you know.

See also: and, cold, feed, starve

run a fever and run a temperature

to have a body temperature higher than normal; to have a fever. I ran a fever when I had the flu. The baby is running a temperature and is grouchy.

See also: and, run, temperature

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fever pitch

if you say that a feeling or a situation has reached fever pitch, you mean that people's emotions have become so strong that they can only just control themselves By the time the princess appeared on the balcony, excitement among the crowd was at fever pitch. Tension reached fever pitch as reports came in of further bomb attacks in the north.

See also: pitch

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run a fever

to have a high body temperature caused by an illness He developed a very bad ear infection and ran a fever for a couple of days.

See also: run