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Ague

1. An acute fever. Brenning agues.

2. (Science: medicine) An intermittent fever, attended by alternate cold and hot fits.

3. The cold fit or rigor of the intermittent fever; as, fever and ague.

4. A chill, or state of shaking, as with cold. 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. 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.

Origin: oe. Agu, ague, OF. Agu, f. Aigu, sharp, OF. Fem. Ague, LL. (febris) acuta, a sharp, acute fever, fr. L. Acutus sharp. See acute.