Ty"phus (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. ? smoke,
cloud, stupor arising from fever; akin to ? to smoke, Skr. dh?pa
smoke.] (Med.) A contagious continued fever lasting from two to
three weeks, attended with great prostration and cerebral disorder, and
marked by a copious eruption of red spots upon the body. Also called
jail fever, famine fever, putrid fever, spottled
fever, etc. See Jail fever, under Jail.