[Vocabulary] fever vs. temperature (hot)

[inase]

Do you feel any difference in the temperature of Tom between these sentences. My guess is Tom in sentence 1 is a bit more serious than in sentence 2.

1. Tom called in sick with a fever. (flu?)
2. Tom called in sick with a temperature. (common cold?)

Inase

 

[GoesStation]

They're equivalent in American English. I would only say fever because everyone always has a temperature - normally 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit sub-lingually. Most speakers are not so fastidious.

 

[Rover_KE]

They're equivalent in American English.

Also in British English.

'Tom has a temperature' and 'Tom has a fever' both mean 'Tom has a high temperature'.

Neither is a guide to diagnosing flu or a cold.

 

[Tdol]

I don't see any real difference. If we wanted to say that he was seriously ill, we would use something else.

 

[inase]

They're equivalent in American English. I would only say fever because everyone always has a temperature - normally 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit sub-lingually. Most speakers are not so fastidious.

The word "sub-lingually" is new to me. It occurs to me that the temperature may be referred to differently depending on the ways taken.

Are the following sentences spoken by English speakers?

1. The nurse took his sub-lingual temperature. (medical/anatomical)
2. The nurse took his under-the-tongue temperature.
3. The nurse took his temperature sub-lingually. (medical/anatomical)
4. The nurse took his temperature under the tongue.
5. The nurse took his axillary temperature. (medical/anatomical)
6. The nurse took his armpit temperature.
7. The nurse took his under-the-arm temperature.
8. The nurse took his temperature axillarily. (medical/anatomical)
9. The nurse took his temperature under the arm.

Inase

 

[andrewg927]

Inase, you are not the only person who doesn't know what "sub-lingual" means.

Nurses can take temperature in the ear (like Robert suggested) or across your forehead. Under-the-tongue is no longer used by nurses as far as I know.

 

[Tdol]

When I was in hospital a few years ago, they stuck an electronic device in my armpit. I must say that I have heard sub-lingual used for the description of the absorption of some drugs rather than taking someone's temperature.