different between feverish vs firey

English

Etymology

From fever +? -ish.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?fi?.v?.???/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?fi.v?.??/

Adjective

feverish (comparative more feverish, superlative most feverish)

1. Having a fever, an elevated body temperature.

   The illness made him feverish, so they applied cold compresses.

2. Filled with excess energy.

   He worked with feverish excitement.

3. Morbidly eager.

   a feverish desire to see her again

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• feverish in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• feverish in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

English

Pronunciation

Noun

firey (plural fireys)

1. (Australia, colloquial) A firefighter.
   • 2006, Don Woodland, Simon Bouda, Salvation Army, Picking Up the Pieces: A Life of Care and Compassion, page 135,

     So if a firey was having difficulties, I could go into bat for him if I felt it was necessary.

   • 2010, Helen Thomas, Life with Rosie: The Highs and Lows of Raising a Racehorse, unnumbered page,

     ‘Just one of those things that happens on a day like this,’ one of the fireys says, staring at what was the back door of the car.

   • 2010, Karen Kissane, Worst of Days: Inside the Black Saturday Firestorm, unnumbered page,

     Kinglake West firey Chris Lloyd says the camaraderie is a critical ingredient of CFA life.

Alternative forms

• firie

Adjective

firey

1. Misspelling of fiery.

Usage notes

The word fire and the fier- in the word fiery have counterintuitively different spellings. Furthermore, fire is traditionally one syllable (now usually two), while fiery is three. As such, it is easy to mistake fiery as a misspelling of fire + -y.

Anagrams

• fiery, reify