Definition

Noun: A specific, acute infectious disease affecting cattle, characterized by the presence of blood in the urine (hematuria). It is typically caused by parasites, such as certain Babesia species, which destroy red blood cells.

Usage

The term "red water" is used almost exclusively in veterinary and agricultural contexts to diagnose and discuss this specific cattle illness. * The farmer called the vet because he suspected red water in his herd. * Red water can cause significant economic losses in cattle farming.

Advanced Usage

• The term is a direct, descriptive name for the condition's most visible symptom: reddish or coffee-colored urine.
• It is often used in a compound form as "redwater fever" to specify the febrile (fever-causing) nature of the disease.

Variants and Related Words

• Redwater (noun): A common closed-compound spelling of the same term.
• Bovine babesiosis (noun): The more formal, scientific name for the disease.
• Hematuria (noun): The medical term for blood in urine, which is the defining symptom.
• Hemoglobinuria (noun): The presence of hemoglobin in urine, which is the specific cause of the red color in this disease.

Synonyms

• Bovine babesiosis
• Cattle fever (in specific regional contexts where it refers to this parasitic disease)

Notes on Meaning

"Red water" is a fixed technical term. It does not refer to literally red-colored water from other sources (e.g., algae blooms, mineral runoff). Its meaning is specific to veterinary pathology.

Noun

1. a disease of cattle; characterized by hematuria