delirium. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

delirium

SYLLABICATION:	de·lir·i·um
PRONUNCIATION:	d-lîr-m
NOUN:	Inflected forms: pl. de·lir·i·ums or de·lir·i·a (--) 1. A temporary state of mental confusion and fluctuating consciousness resulting from high fever, intoxication, shock, or other causes. It is characterized by anxiety, disorientation, hallucinations, delusions, and incoherent speech. 2. A state of uncontrolled excitement or emotion: sports fans in delirium after their team's victory.
ETYMOLOGY:	Latin dlrium, from dlrre, to be deranged : d-, de- + lra, furrow; see leis-¹ in Appendix I.
OTHER FORMS:	de·liri·ant —ADJECTIVE


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.