How Do You Spell SWEATING SICKNESS?

Pronunciation: [swˈɛtɪŋ sˈɪknəs] (IPA)

The term "sweating sickness" refers to a mysterious and deadly disease that affected England during the 15th and 16th centuries. Despite its name, the illness did not only cause sweating, but also other symptoms such as fever, headache, and eventually death. The spelling of "sweating" is represented phonetically as /ˈswɛtɪŋ/, with the emphasis on the first syllable. The word "sickness" is spelled as /ˈsɪknəs/, with a stressed second syllable. The disease was so devastating that it spread rapidly and claimed millions of lives before it mysteriously disappeared.

SWEATING SICKNESS Meaning and Definition

1. Sweating sickness, also known as Sweate, Sudor Anglicus, or the Sweats, is an acute infectious disease that emerged in the 15th and 16th centuries in England. It is characterized by sudden and extreme symptoms, primarily profuse sweating, accompanied by fever, headache, muscle pain, and a sense of overwhelming fatigue. The disease progresses rapidly, often leading to death within a few hours or days.

   The exact cause of sweating sickness remains unknown, although many theories have been put forward. It is believed to have been a type of virus or bacteria that spread through respiratory droplets, as it was highly contagious and often affected multiple members of households or communities. The disease primarily affected individuals between the ages of 15 and 35, and it had a higher mortality rate among the upper classes.

   Sweating sickness exhibited erratic patterns of outbreaks, with significant peaks in the years 1508, 1517, 1528, and 1551. After the last major outbreak, the disease mysteriously disappeared, and there have been no reported cases since the 16th century.

   Despite its short-lived existence, sweating sickness had a profound impact on English society, causing panic and fear due to its rapid spread and high mortality rate. Physicians, scholars, and monarchs struggled to understand and contain the disease, leading to a range of ineffective and superstitious treatments.

   In modern times, the term "sweating sickness" may also refer to excessive sweating caused by factors such as anxiety, hormonal imbalances, or certain medical conditions.

2. Miliary fever (1).

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

3. A febrile epidemic disease, very fatal, which prevailed in Europe the 15th and 16th centuries, characterised by prose sweating.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for SWEATING SICKNESS

• aweating sickness
• zweating sickness
• xweating sickness
• dweating sickness
• eweating sickness
• wweating sickness
• sqeating sickness
• saeating sickness
• sseating sickness
• seeating sickness
• s3eating sickness
• s2eating sickness
• swwating sickness
• swsating sickness
• swdating sickness
• swrating sickness
• sw4ating sickness
• sw3ating sickness
• swezting sickness
• swesting sickness

Etymology of SWEATING SICKNESS

The term "sweating sickness" originated in the 15th century to describe a highly contagious and rapidly spreading disease that caused sweating as a prominent symptom. The exact etymology of the word "sweating" is straightforward, referring to the profuse perspiration associated with the illness.

However, the origin of the word "sickness" is a more general term that has been used for centuries to describe any form of illness or disease. It can be traced back to the Old English word "sicnes", which means sickness or disease.

In terms of the specific disease known as the "sweating sickness", it first appeared in England in the late 15th century and reemerged periodically until the 16th century. It was called "sweating sickness" due to its most distinctive symptom of intense sweating.