rigor n Also the rigors [OED2 c1400 ’!] esp Gulf States, TX See Map  A chill; a shiver, tremor, or shake.1806 (1970) Webster Compendious Dict. 259, Rigor. . . A shivering with cold. [DARE Ed: This entry does not appear in Webster ' s English model.] 1857 Living Age 55.78 PA, The tumultuous form of nervous action which constitutes a rigor, conveys to those who are the subjects of it, the sensation as of a sudden abstraction of heat. 1905 DN 3.92 nwAR, Rigor, . . rigors. . . A malarial chill which causes the sufferer to shake violently.  I had a hard rigor yesterday. '  These rigors are about getting me down. ' 1909 DN 3.363 eAL, wGA, Rigor. . . A slight chill, a mild shaking as from malaria. 1965- 70 DARE (Qu. BB13, . . Chills and fever) Infs AL8, 30, NC33, TX32, 37, 71, 74, 86, 98, The rigors; MS1, TX42, Rigors; CA127, The rigors—a back-East word; TN27, The rigors—for chills; MS51, Rigors; hard rigor; (Qu. P36, When a hunter sees a deer or other game animal and gets so excited he can ' t shoot, he has _____) Infs MS21, TX32, Rigors; (Qu. DD22, . . Delirium tremens) Inf TN24, The rigors [FW: This does not seem to be a synonym; Inf used it to describe tremens]. 1984 Annals Internal Med. 100.899 wAL, A nervous rigor may be confused with a chill but is characterized by the patient alternately tensing and relaxing the muscles over the body, shivering, and the absence of fever; it is a type of anxiety attack. 1986 Pederson LAGS Concordance (Caught a cold) 1 inf, csAR, Took a rigor—involves shaking. 1990 Cavender Folk Med. Lexicon 30 sAppalachians, Rigors—[Cavender: sometimes pronounced " rygors " ] a chill accompanied by mild trembling; commonly used as " the rigors. 1993 Mason Feather Crowns 298 KY, Christie watched from the window. . . A rigor ran up her spine, turned and dived into her stomach. . . Her heart beat fast.