milk-fever

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A medical condition in cattle: "milk-fever" refers to hypocalcemia in dairy cows, typically occurring shortly after calving, characterized by a drop in blood calcium levels leading to muscle weakness, paralysis, or collapse.
    • A historical term for a fever in humans: In obsolete usage, "milk-fever" described a mild fever sometimes experienced by women shortly after childbirth, associated with the onset of lactation.
Usage Examples

  • Noun (cattle):

    • The farmer treated the cow for milk-fever by administering a calcium solution. (The cow had a calcium deficiency after giving birth.)
    • Milk-fever is a common metabolic disorder in high-yielding dairy herds. (It affects cows that produce large amounts of milk.)

  • Noun (historical human condition):

    • In 19th-century medical texts, milk-fever was considered a normal postpartum event. (It was thought to be a natural reaction to breastfeeding.)
Advanced Usage

  • "to have milk-fever": to suffer from the condition in cattle.

    • The veterinarian diagnosed the heifer with acute milk-fever. (The young cow had severe symptoms.)

  • "milk-fever prevention": management practices to avoid the condition.

    • Feeding a low-calcium diet before calving helps prevent milk-fever. (This dietary adjustment reduces the risk.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Milk fever (n, alternative spelling): the same condition, often written as two words.
    • Milk fever can be fatal if left untreated. (The condition requires prompt veterinary care.)
  • Hypocalcemia (n): the medical term for low blood calcium, the underlying cause of milk-fever.
    • Hypocalcemia in cows is synonymous with milk-fever. (It is the clinical explanation for the symptoms.)
Synonyms
  • Parturient paresis (n): a technical veterinary term for milk-fever in cattle.
    • Parturient paresis is another name for milk-fever. (It emphasizes the paralysis that occurs after calving.)
  • Lactation fever (n): a historical synonym for the human postpartum condition.
    • Lactation fever was once thought to be a separate illness. (It was linked to breastfeeding.)
Related Idioms
  • (No common idioms are directly associated with "milk-fever," as it is a technical term specific to veterinary or historical medical contexts.)