(of a fever or the symptoms of a disease, esp malaria) occurring every other day
noun
2.
a tertian fever or symptoms
Word origin
C14: from Latin febris tertiāna fever occurring every third day, reckoned inclusively, from tertius third
tertian in American English
(ˈtɜrʃən)
adjective
1.
occurring every other day so that it happens on the first and third days: usually applied to fever or a disease causing it, esp. any of certain forms of malaria
noun
2.
a tertian fever or disease
Word origin
ME tercian < L (febris) tertiana, tertian (fever) < tertius, third