¹distemper

verb dis·tem·per \dis-ˈtem-pər\

Definition of DISTEMPER

transitive verb

: to throw out of order

archaic : derange, unsettle

Origin of DISTEMPER

Middle English distempren, from Late Latin distemperare to temper badly, from Latin dis- + temperare to temper

First Known Use: 14th century

²distemper

noun

Definition of DISTEMPER

: bad humor or temper

: a disordered or abnormal bodily state especially of quadruped mammals: as

a : a highly contagious virus disease of canines and especially of dogs that is caused by a morbillivirus (species Canine distemper virus) and is marked by fever, leukopenia, and respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurological symptoms —called also canine distemper

b : strangles

c : panleukopenia

: ailment, disorder <vice and folly are situated not in human nature … but in distempers of intellect — George Stade>

— dis·tem·per·ate \-p(ə-)rət\ adjective

First Known Use of DISTEMPER

1546

³distemper

noun

Definition of DISTEMPER

: a process of painting in which the pigments are mixed with an emulsion of egg yolk, with size, or with white of egg as a vehicle and which is used for painting scenery and murals

a : the paint or the prepared ground used in the distemper process

b : a painting done in distemper

: any of various water-based paints

Origin of DISTEMPER

obsolete distemper, verb, to dilute, mix to produce distemper, from Middle English, from Anglo-French destemprer, from Latin dis- + temperare

First Known Use: 1632

⁴distemper

verb

Definition of DISTEMPER

transitive verb

: to paint in or with distemper

First Known Use of DISTEMPER

circa 1873

Medical Dictionary

distemper

noun dis·tem·per \dis-ˈtem-pər\

Medical Definition of DISTEMPER

: a disordered or abnormal bodily state especially of quadruped mammals: as a : a highly contagious virus disease especially of dogs that is marked by fever, leukopenia, and respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurological symptoms and that is caused by a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus (species Canine distemper virus)—called also canine distemper b : strangles c : panleukopenia d : a severe frequently fatal infectious nasopharyngeal inflammation of rabbits