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hyperthermia
This term is primarily used in medical and clinical contexts to describe a physiological state where the body's temperature rises uncontrollably. It is distinct from a fever, which is a regulated increase in body temperature triggered by the hypothalamus in response to infection or inflammation. Hyperthermia represents a failure of the cooling system rather than a biological defense mechanism.
As a medical condition, the word is treated as an uncountable noun. It describes a state of being or a pathological condition rather than a discrete object, meaning it does not typically take a plural form in standard clinical usage.
Meanings
An abnormally high body temperature, usually caused by a failure of the body's thermoregulatory mechanisms to dissipate heat, often resulting from exposure to high environmental temperatures or strenuous physical exertion.
The patient was rushed to the emergency room suffering from severe hyperthermia after running a marathon in the summer heat.