puerperal fever: Meaning and Definition of

puer'peral fe'ver

Pronunciation: [key]
— Pathol. Pathol.
  1. a systemic bacterial infection of the endometrium characterized by fever, rapid heartbeat, uterine tenderness, and malodorous discharge, chiefly occurring in women after childbirth, usually as the result of unsterile obstetric procedures.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.