Early 19th century; earliest use found in John Mason Good (1764–1827), physician and surgeon. From post-classical Latin pyrecticus or its etymon Hellenistic Greek πυρεκτικός feverish from ancient Greek πυρεκ-, stem of πυρέσσειν to be feverish (from πυρετός fever: see pyreto-) + -τικός, suffix forming adjectives from verbs.